Loss of two-thirds majority ‘not a big failure’

OGONE TLHAGE

While christening 2020 ‘The Year of Introspection’, President Hage Geingob has argued that contrary to the claims of some analysts that the loss of Swapo’s two-thirds majority in parliament by one seat during last year’s general election is a big failure, it indeed received a massive mandate of 66% and 63 seats.
He compared this to the ruling party’s nearest rival, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), which won 16% and 16 seats in the new National Assembly that will be sworn-in next month. Swapo will have 14 fewer seats.
“I understand this result as the voice of the electorate, which is saying, ‘We still trust you and have confidence in you as our ruling party. But wake up’,” Geingob said this morning at the opening of the first cabinet meeting of the year at State House.
“Also, for yours truly, the reduced vote tally of 56% which by far outstripped the 29% of the nearest losing candidate, is a direct message from the electorate that, ‘Yes we give you the mandate as the person that we most trust among all the presidential candidates in Namibia, but we don’t want to have business as usual. Appoint ministers who are serious, focused, hardworking and honest about uplifting the people from poverty and are not insensitive to the needs of the people’,” the head of the state added.
“And tell those ministers to promote, explain and defend the government’s work so that the people can understand and support it. Tell them to answer questions when the media is asking them about their operations and not to hide away.”