EDITORIAL: Closed-door campaigns short-sighted
Swapo’s closed-door, secretive campaigns rob the party’s rank and file of an opportunity to follow and influence the congress outcome.
To suggest that the future of a mass movement like Swapo must be left to 700 delegates alone - with little to no influence by the broader membership - undermines democracy in a big way.
We understand the fear of further disintegration and polarisation of the party, as it seasonally happens ahead of elective congresses, but politics by its nature is a competitive enterprise which must be left as such.
There were many other alternative guidelines the party could have imposed on candidates without hamstringing and confining them to venues as small as a child's toy.
While it is true that individual delegates will be alone in the voting booth, they represent the aspirations of the broader membership.
Therefore, open campaigns would have afforded non-delegates an opportunity to listen to candidates’ ideas and, through delegates, perhaps influence the outcome. That’s democracy par excellence.
The essence of campaigns is to get those who agree with a candidate’s ideas to support them. Such support does not only come from inside the voting booth. It also includes being a foot soldier of the candidate’s ideals and ramping up support for them through congress delegates.
The narrow view that all powers to dictate the future of a former liberation movement should be left to the mercy of 700 people is defeatist.
To suggest that the future of a mass movement like Swapo must be left to 700 delegates alone - with little to no influence by the broader membership - undermines democracy in a big way.
We understand the fear of further disintegration and polarisation of the party, as it seasonally happens ahead of elective congresses, but politics by its nature is a competitive enterprise which must be left as such.
There were many other alternative guidelines the party could have imposed on candidates without hamstringing and confining them to venues as small as a child's toy.
While it is true that individual delegates will be alone in the voting booth, they represent the aspirations of the broader membership.
Therefore, open campaigns would have afforded non-delegates an opportunity to listen to candidates’ ideas and, through delegates, perhaps influence the outcome. That’s democracy par excellence.
The essence of campaigns is to get those who agree with a candidate’s ideas to support them. Such support does not only come from inside the voting booth. It also includes being a foot soldier of the candidate’s ideals and ramping up support for them through congress delegates.
The narrow view that all powers to dictate the future of a former liberation movement should be left to the mercy of 700 people is defeatist.
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