The leader of South Africa’s second biggest party said Friday it will back Cyril Ramaphosa for president, almost guaranteeing he will be reelected in Parliament for a second term.

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said his party had now formally signed a coalition agreement with Ramaphosa’s African National Congress, and part of the agreement is Ramaphosa will be president.

Lawmakers are due to elect a president later on Friday and the ANC and DA together have a majority of lawmakers that would see Ramaphosa return for a second term. If Ramaphosa is the only candidate nominated, he would be elected automatically without the need for a vote.

Steenhuisen said the DA was now preparing to co-govern Africa’s most industrialized economy alongside the ANC and the coalition deal was in place.

Ramaphosa’s African National Congress party has been weakened after losing its long-held majority in an election last month, leaving him needing the support of other parties if he is to return as president.

The DA — once the ANC’s biggest political foe — will now support Ramaphosa and continue the ANC’s three-decade hold on the presidency.

The ANC announced late Thursday that it had a coalition agreement in principle with the DA and other smaller parties. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the final details of the agreement were still being worked out. The DA, the second largest party in Parliament behind the ANC with a potentially decisive number of lawmakers, said talks on the details had continued through the night and into early Friday, just before Parliament convened at 10 a.m.