The Congress of the People caused a major stir when they made their way into the political arena late last year. Terror Lekota's decision to serve 'divorce papers' on the ANC left the ruling party shaken and under fire as many rallied to his cause.

Some thought that Cope would overtake the DA and become the new opposition party, but as the election drew near, Cope failed to garner the support required to topple the DA, let alone the ANC. They did, however, manage to oust the IFP as the third biggest party in SA.

Cope's 'bang' of 2008 has become a 'whimper' in 2009. Ever since the elections, the party seems to have lost its voice. Perhaps they are just regrouping and re-evaluating their performance.

We caught up with Cope's spokesperson Phillip Dexter to talk about the party that, at least briefly, threatened the hegemony of the ANC.

Lindiwe Mlandu: Cope started really well, but seemed to lose momentum just before the elections. Where do you think you went wrong?

Phillip Dexter: Nothing really went wrong ? we were short on resources and time to organise ourselves.

LM: Were you disappointed with your performance in the April elections?

PD: We would have liked to have done better but under the circumstances we think we did well.

LM: Do you think appointing Mvume Dandala as your presidential candidate cost you as a party?

PD: No. We have said that bringing a candidate at such a late stage of the election was not easy but Dr. Dandala has the support of all our members.

LM: You were against corrupt leaders and you promoted transparency. What made you choose Allan Boesak to run for the Western Cape premiership?

PD: Dr Boesak has served his time for the offence he was found guilty of. We are convinced of his integrity as a person.

LM: After the elections, you vanished ? you no longer seem to have any thing to say regarding the latest developments in the country. Why?

PD: This is not true. We have been very busy setting up in Parliament, legislatures etc and have regularly made public statements. Our CNC has adopted a programme of action and we will now implement this.

LM: Don't you think that the voters will forget about your existence and start looking for other political homes?

PD: No.

LM: There were rumours of infighting within the party. What are you doing to address these challenges?

PD: There is no truth to these rumours.

LM: Some voters do not trust the Congress of the People. They believe that you decided to form the organisation out of loyalty to former president Thabo Mbeki. How do you plan on winning over the sceptics?

PD: By ensuring we perform as a vibrant opposition.

LM: Most breakaway parties do not succeed. What are you going to do differently to ensure that you remain in the game?

PD: We are not another breakaway, as is clear from our election performance.

LM: Can we expect a more proactive approach from Cope from now on? Do you think you have a role to play in the daily running of the country?

PD: We are already proactive. We cannot have a role in running the country as an opposition.

LM: We've seen a lot of slander from politicians in the recent weeks. Where does Cope stand on the issue?

PD: We are not lowering ourselves to the level of these politicians.

Do you think that Cope has what it takes to remain in the political game? Share your thoughts below?