EDITORIAL: We need outright winners in 2024
The 2019 and 2020 elections taught us two key lessons. The first is that liberation rhetoric is no longer acceptable to many Namibians as a basis for their voting decisions. Young people even joked at the time that they would hide their grandparents' voting cards because that generation still casts its votes mainly out of gratitude to the liberators.
It would, of course, be illegal to hide anyone’s voting card and violate their constitutional rights.
The second lesson is that we need a majority winner, no matter how thin the margins may be, in order to avoid coalitions. Swapo’s takeover of the City of Windhoek late last year, taking the majority of seats in the management committee and regaining the mayoral seat after being topped by the opposition in 2020, signalled the end of the coalition that governed the City in a rather chaotic manner.
Injured Swapo limped its way back to the top, taking advantage of the lack of unity among the erstwhile ‘progressive forces' that arrived on the scene with pomp and fanfare in late 2020.
Swapo’s return to the summit does not necessarily mean things will be done its way. The party is still heavily outnumbered by the opposition, which collectively holds 10 out of 15 seats. However, quiet unity among ruling party councillors was a key catalyst in getting Swapo back to the pinnacle. But in the end, it’s not about positions. We will judge all 15 councillors and their parties as a unit.
It would, of course, be illegal to hide anyone’s voting card and violate their constitutional rights.
The second lesson is that we need a majority winner, no matter how thin the margins may be, in order to avoid coalitions. Swapo’s takeover of the City of Windhoek late last year, taking the majority of seats in the management committee and regaining the mayoral seat after being topped by the opposition in 2020, signalled the end of the coalition that governed the City in a rather chaotic manner.
Injured Swapo limped its way back to the top, taking advantage of the lack of unity among the erstwhile ‘progressive forces' that arrived on the scene with pomp and fanfare in late 2020.
Swapo’s return to the summit does not necessarily mean things will be done its way. The party is still heavily outnumbered by the opposition, which collectively holds 10 out of 15 seats. However, quiet unity among ruling party councillors was a key catalyst in getting Swapo back to the pinnacle. But in the end, it’s not about positions. We will judge all 15 councillors and their parties as a unit.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article