RDP registers candidates

The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) registered its presidential and National Assembly candidates for the general election in November with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) on Friday.

The party held its electoral college at Rundu the previous weekend, where Mike Kavekotora was elected as its presidential candidate. The party registered 76 candidates for the National Assembly elections. The other presidential candidates were Kandi Nehova and Mirjam Hamutenya.

Nehova is contesting Kavekotora's win, claiming that Kavekotora did not get a clear 50% plus one majority as is stipulated in the party's constitution.

RDP secretary of Information and publicity Nghiningiluandubo Kashume said of the 625 delegates at the electoral college, 490 voted, and there were 14 spoilt ballots.

Kashume said Kavekotora garnered 243 votes, or 51.05%, since spoilt ballots are not counted. Nehova clinched 133 and Hamutenya got 100 votes.

Kavekotora was elected as the RDP president at the ordinary national convention held in June.

Nehova, after his defeat as the party's presidential candidate for the national elections, reportedly planned to “reconvene” the third national convention at Otjiwarongo this past weekend.

“Those claiming to reconvene a convention have no mandate whatsoever because the members of the RDP have entrusted their mandate to the elected leadership under Mike Kavekotora, Kennedy Shekupakela, Brunhilde Cornelius, and Agnes Limbo [the top four].

“The people who attended the convention on 1 and 2 June have decided and they have spoken. They are not going to repeat a convention; the convention has already been done,” said Kashume.

The electoral college was held after a national executive committee meeting where the central committee (CC) and the rules for the electoral college were approved.

Kavekotora said a CC meeting subsequently approved the electoral agenda.

He said the CC members also considered the nominations of the presidential candidates.

“I was unanimously nominated. I think it is also in accordance with the tradition that the president of the party normally be the presidential candidate for the national election. I'm very excited that we got over that hurdle. Obviously there will be some challenges here and there,” said Kavekotora.

Kavekotora said the RDP's lawyers have sent a letter to Nehova's lawyers in which they question the timing and urgency of Nehova's challenge. He claimed Nehova and his supporters want to “derail” the RDP over the 14 spoilt ballots.

“I have information that they even came to the ECN to ask how spoilt ballots are being treated. They have been informed that you do not count spoilt ballots, you do not calculate your percentage based on spoilt ballots, and that is one of the realities they deliberately want to ignore,” Kavekotora said.

Kavekotora denied that the RDP has formed a coalition with the Christian Democratic Voice (CDV).

“It was not a coalition. It was a memorandum of understanding,” Kavekotora said. He said the agreement was that the CDV would give its votes to the RDP because it would not participate in the 2019 presidential or national elections.

“If someone is against that, they must have ulterior motives,” Kavekotora said.

“Why are they taking other routes? Why do they not go straight to the courts where we can settle this matter? My feeling is that these people's main interest is to try to block the RDP from doing well in the elections.

“That is a derailment. Why would you say you love the party and then all of a sudden try to derail the party?”

Kavekotora also said he and others who were at the convention in June were not invited to Nehova's attempted reconvened convention.

CATHERINE SASMAN