Ombudsman disappoints PDM
The PDM says it is regrettable that the ombudsman chose to defend the president rather than protect the fundamental rights of the Namibian people.
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has dismissed the ombudsman's report which found that President Hage Geingob's recent remark about white Namibians registering to vote was not hate speech.
In his report, Ombudsman John Walters found that the president had actually called upon white people to rally against the political opposition.
“The objectionable utterances, read in context of the speech as a whole, suggest shock at the lack of gratitude the president expects from white people; incite action from party members which is to unite with the objective of winning the elections in the face of adversity,” Walters said.
If taken in the right context, Geingob's utterances were not meant to stir up hate but instead to unite Namibians, Walters said.
“The objectionable utterance, read in context of the speech as a whole, do not constitute a violation of white people's Article 17 constitutional rights,” said Walters.
He concluded that the president enjoys constitutional protection against criminal proceedings. Instead, claims of harassment should be reported to the police while political misconduct should be reported to the Electoral Commission of Namibia.
“In light of the above concluding observations and findings, there is no need to make any recommendation,” the ombudsman found.
Disappointing
The PDM has rejected these findings and said it was regrettable that Walters chose to defend the president rather than protect the fundamental rights of the Namibian people as guaranteed by Article 17 of the Namibian constitution.
PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe said the party has started the groundwork for a legal review of the ombudsman's findings.
“The PDM is utterly disappointed with the findings that the ombudsman made in his report, and our suspicions that the ombudsman is captured by those in the Executive realm of government have now been confirmed,” he said.
Welcome
Meanwhile, presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari has welcomed the ombudsman's findings and said they had known from the beginning that the PDM's complaint was “sheer political opportunism”.
“From the findings, it is blatantly clear that the formal complaint lodged by the PDM against the head of state, including the utterance of highly politicised sections of civil society and commentators, were nothing but empty political grandstanding,” Hengari said.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has dismissed the ombudsman's report which found that President Hage Geingob's recent remark about white Namibians registering to vote was not hate speech.
In his report, Ombudsman John Walters found that the president had actually called upon white people to rally against the political opposition.
“The objectionable utterances, read in context of the speech as a whole, suggest shock at the lack of gratitude the president expects from white people; incite action from party members which is to unite with the objective of winning the elections in the face of adversity,” Walters said.
If taken in the right context, Geingob's utterances were not meant to stir up hate but instead to unite Namibians, Walters said.
“The objectionable utterance, read in context of the speech as a whole, do not constitute a violation of white people's Article 17 constitutional rights,” said Walters.
He concluded that the president enjoys constitutional protection against criminal proceedings. Instead, claims of harassment should be reported to the police while political misconduct should be reported to the Electoral Commission of Namibia.
“In light of the above concluding observations and findings, there is no need to make any recommendation,” the ombudsman found.
Disappointing
The PDM has rejected these findings and said it was regrettable that Walters chose to defend the president rather than protect the fundamental rights of the Namibian people as guaranteed by Article 17 of the Namibian constitution.
PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe said the party has started the groundwork for a legal review of the ombudsman's findings.
“The PDM is utterly disappointed with the findings that the ombudsman made in his report, and our suspicions that the ombudsman is captured by those in the Executive realm of government have now been confirmed,” he said.
Welcome
Meanwhile, presidential press secretary Alfredo Hengari has welcomed the ombudsman's findings and said they had known from the beginning that the PDM's complaint was “sheer political opportunism”.
“From the findings, it is blatantly clear that the formal complaint lodged by the PDM against the head of state, including the utterance of highly politicised sections of civil society and commentators, were nothing but empty political grandstanding,” Hengari said.
[email protected]
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