ICC withdrawal heralds banana republic - Venaani

DTA president McHenry Venaani has condemned Namibia''s plan to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying it would make leaders untouchable and above the law.

According to him the fact that the Namibian constitution bars local courts from trying a sitting president for criminal offences committed during his or her term of office aggravates the situation.

“This extends to former presidents as well. Our laws say a president is untouchable, so if the president commits genocide to certain people that he does not want in the country our law protects him. Does he want to tell us that we should withdraw from ICC so that he can do whatever he wants as there is no court where he can be tried?” asked Venaani.

He said the DTA admits that the ICC is not faultless but that Namibia should remain a member and campaign for robust reform.

Venaani also expressed concern over the fact that Namibia intends to follow in the footsteps of Burundi, a country with a terrible human rights track record.

He added that Namibia would not be taken seriously if it follows the example of Gambia or Burundi in withdrawing from the ICC.

“Burundi is a complete economic and social mess. There are no rights, which is very advantageous for the president to remove all obstacles with impunity to keep power. Are these the countries we want to follow?” he asked.

Countries that have recently withdrawn from the ICC include South Africa, Burundi and Gambia.

Tanzania, Nigeria and Senegal have chosen to remain members and push for reforms instead.

In November last year the Namibian cabinet approved a recommendation by the Swapo Party to have Namibia withdraw from the world court.

President Hage Geingob also criticised the ICC, saying Africans have a right to withdraw from it if they no longer agree with it, but added that countries need to strengthen their judicial systems.





Constitution

The DTA has also called on President Hage Geingob to retract his comment that the constitution is “just a paper”, failing which the party will never respect him as a president.

Geingob said on Monday at the opening of the Swapo Party Policy Conference that Namibians who are against the NEEEF bill must remember that the constitution is just a paper written by people.

According to Venaani, such a remark by a president who swore to safeguard the Namibian constitution is worrying.

“He is in fact one who has fiddled a lot with the constitution. We believed it was in good faith but if he is saying something like this then we are worried,” said Venaani.

Contacted for comment on the DTA''s demand, presidential press secretary Albertus Aochamub said: “We have no information to respond to.”