 In 2000, the DP joined with the NNP and the much smaller Federal Alliance to form the Democratic Alliance (DA) in preparation for the local government elections of 5 December 2000, in which members of the three parties would contest as DA candidates.Members elected to the National Assembly or the Provincial Legislatures could not defect without losing their seats, as floor crossing legislation was not yet in effect, so the DP and DA would exist side by side until 2003.The new DA won 22% of the vote in the local government elections and secured an outright majority in the Cape Town unicity with 52.5% of the vote compared to 38% for the ANC.