New South Africa party to launch

Cope is led by former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota

A new political party is being formally launched in South Africa, made up largely of defectors from the governing African National Congress.

The Congress of the People, or Cope, poses the first serious opposition challenge in South Africa after 14 years of government by the ANC.

It says it will run against the ANC in national elections next year.

Cope emerged after Thabo Mbeki left the presidency in September amid a power struggle with ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

Many supporters of the new party were unhappy at the way in which Mr Mbeki was forced to step down.

The BBC's Peter Biles reports from Bloemfontein, where the new party is being launched, that delegates have been feverishly debating the event.

They see it as a key moment that signals the growth and development of South Africa's young democracy, he says.

Naming dispute

Cope is led by former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota, who on Monday ruled out any reconciliation with the ANC.

"The ANC more than anybody else should know that there is no possibility of us going back, we are now looking forward to the elections," he said.

The party's launch follows a legal argument over the name to be used by the breakaway party.

The ANC has laid claim to the name Congress of the People, which was a historic, ANC-sponsored event.

But the High Court ruled earlier this month that the new party could use the name.

Cope was already the party's third choice name.

Its first choice - South African National Congress - was challenged by the ANC, saying it was too similar to its own name.

Their second choice - South African Democratic Congress - was already registered as a party.

In its first electoral test earlier this month, the ANC dissidents won 10 of 27 wards in the Western Cape - the province where the ANC has always been least popular.

The Cope members had to stand as independent candidates because of the challenge to the name of the party.

Our correspondent says the challenge for the new party is to distance itself from Mr Mbeki, and not appear like a group of embittered losers from last year's ANC national conference in Polokwane.

It was at Polokwane that Mr Mbeki was defeated by Jacob Zuma in the contest for the leadership of the ruling party.