IPC dissident opens case against Itula
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) outcast Henry Ngenomesho has opened a case of assault by threat against party president Dr Panduleni Itula.
Police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, confirmed that a charge has been laid against Itula by Ngenomesho, who last week launched a war of words against the former independent presidential candidate.
The threat allegedly came via WhatsApp from Itula, which he deleted immediately, the police said. IPC received its registered political party certificate yesterday from the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), allowing the new party to participate in the November regional and local authority elections.
Veto right
Itula said the claims that he displayed autocratic tendencies since the formation of his party two months ago hold no water.
Since resumption of office, Itula has been spending his days putting out fires and defending his party against attacks from particularly Ngenomesho and social media users, who asserts he is dictatorial in his conduct.
One of concerns is the fact that the IPC constitution gives Itula, as founding president, a veto right on fundamental party principles.
According to Ngenomesho, the party's ousted chairperson of Samora Machel Constituency, this provision is what has given Itula the power to appoint top structures without elections.
Demoted
Ngenomesho said he was subsequently demoted to sell party membership cards and prohibited from political activity.
Itula, however, has rubbished these claims as unfounded with no basis, and questioned why people would make such allegations without presenting any form of proof.
“So far, since we have adopted the constitution, we have received no grievances or letter of complaint from members who are saying they are unhappy about the provisions. In fact, yesterday I spoke to some party members who asked for the constitution. I don't know why people dig into the IPC constitution when you are not doing the same thing for other political parties,” he said.
One-man show
Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah said the constitution sounds totalitarian and appears to be coached in the old school politics of the 1960s liberation movement.
“Yes, the president is the chief, but he seemed to have given [himself] totalitarian power, making it a one-man show.
“It will portray Dr Itula in a negative light. He styled himself as a democrat but ended up consolidating all the constitutional powers of his party. Really, what Namibia got is more of the same old politics than the hype created by his candidacy last year,” Kamwanyah said.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) outcast Henry Ngenomesho has opened a case of assault by threat against party president Dr Panduleni Itula.
Police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, confirmed that a charge has been laid against Itula by Ngenomesho, who last week launched a war of words against the former independent presidential candidate.
The threat allegedly came via WhatsApp from Itula, which he deleted immediately, the police said. IPC received its registered political party certificate yesterday from the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), allowing the new party to participate in the November regional and local authority elections.
Veto right
Itula said the claims that he displayed autocratic tendencies since the formation of his party two months ago hold no water.
Since resumption of office, Itula has been spending his days putting out fires and defending his party against attacks from particularly Ngenomesho and social media users, who asserts he is dictatorial in his conduct.
One of concerns is the fact that the IPC constitution gives Itula, as founding president, a veto right on fundamental party principles.
According to Ngenomesho, the party's ousted chairperson of Samora Machel Constituency, this provision is what has given Itula the power to appoint top structures without elections.
Demoted
Ngenomesho said he was subsequently demoted to sell party membership cards and prohibited from political activity.
Itula, however, has rubbished these claims as unfounded with no basis, and questioned why people would make such allegations without presenting any form of proof.
“So far, since we have adopted the constitution, we have received no grievances or letter of complaint from members who are saying they are unhappy about the provisions. In fact, yesterday I spoke to some party members who asked for the constitution. I don't know why people dig into the IPC constitution when you are not doing the same thing for other political parties,” he said.
One-man show
Political commentator Ndumba Kamwanyah said the constitution sounds totalitarian and appears to be coached in the old school politics of the 1960s liberation movement.
“Yes, the president is the chief, but he seemed to have given [himself] totalitarian power, making it a one-man show.
“It will portray Dr Itula in a negative light. He styled himself as a democrat but ended up consolidating all the constitutional powers of his party. Really, what Namibia got is more of the same old politics than the hype created by his candidacy last year,” Kamwanyah said.
[email protected]
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