Swapo bares its teeth at Itula
After initially rubbishing an opinion by the country's former chief dentist, Dr Panduleni Itula, who said Namibia was ripe for an independent presidential candidate to challenge President Hage Geingob and other party leaders, Swapo has taken another bite at the cherry.
At a media conference yesterday, the ruling party bared its teeth at Itula, who is a Swapo member, saying it would not be entertaining “grapevine talks” of one of its own standing against Geingob in the upcoming presidential election.
“The idea of some individuals calling for Swapo members to apparently support their agenda to stand as an independent candidate, while still holding onto Swapo membership, is a serious violation of the party's election rules and procedures,” said Swapo's secretary for information and mobilisation, Hilma Nicanor.
Swapo executive director Austin Samupwa had earlier this month referred to Itula's opinion as “total garbage”, saying the party had nothing to do with it and would not waste time discussing it.
Nicanor said yesterday that any Swapo member who wanted to stand as an independent presidential candidate would have to part ways with the party.
She added the party had gotten wind of Itula's “secret activities, underground in the regions”, apparently soliciting voters to sign up to get him registered.
“Even these activities are a serious violation of the party's rules and regulations,” Nicanor said, adding members should avoid responding to invites from Itula.
“I would like to call on all Swapo functionaries in the regions as well as the party's rank and file not to allow themselves to be taken for granted and confused and misled by those not worthy of Swapo.”
In his 19-page document Itula explained how it was legally possible for an independent candidate to run for president.
He explained, among other requirements, that such a candidate should be a registered voter, who is nominated and supported by at least 500 registered voters per region.
This means that an independent candidate should obtain a total of 7 000 nominations from registered voters.
“Under the Namibian constitutional dispensation, time may be mature for such a shake-up situation to occur as well. Particularly in the light of unpleasant tendencies we [have] witnessed in local governments and the ruling party,” Itula wrote.
“This may indeed be made possible on fertile grounds of dictatorial tendencies surfacing in relation to a catalogue of unilateral decisions since 2015 and dictatorial directives (sic).”
Itula added that “the events in the ruling party in the last few years, months and weeks certainly gave Namibians a reason to ponder as to whether an independent president is worth making a cross on the ballot paper for”.
“If any, the time is indeed ripe for such a bold but courageous move with all its inherent risks.”
Itula was, however, coy about whether he would be standing as an independent candidate earlier this month. When contacted yesterday, he said he didn't know what Swapo was talking about.
At a media conference yesterday, the ruling party bared its teeth at Itula, who is a Swapo member, saying it would not be entertaining “grapevine talks” of one of its own standing against Geingob in the upcoming presidential election.
“The idea of some individuals calling for Swapo members to apparently support their agenda to stand as an independent candidate, while still holding onto Swapo membership, is a serious violation of the party's election rules and procedures,” said Swapo's secretary for information and mobilisation, Hilma Nicanor.
Swapo executive director Austin Samupwa had earlier this month referred to Itula's opinion as “total garbage”, saying the party had nothing to do with it and would not waste time discussing it.
Nicanor said yesterday that any Swapo member who wanted to stand as an independent presidential candidate would have to part ways with the party.
She added the party had gotten wind of Itula's “secret activities, underground in the regions”, apparently soliciting voters to sign up to get him registered.
“Even these activities are a serious violation of the party's rules and regulations,” Nicanor said, adding members should avoid responding to invites from Itula.
“I would like to call on all Swapo functionaries in the regions as well as the party's rank and file not to allow themselves to be taken for granted and confused and misled by those not worthy of Swapo.”
In his 19-page document Itula explained how it was legally possible for an independent candidate to run for president.
He explained, among other requirements, that such a candidate should be a registered voter, who is nominated and supported by at least 500 registered voters per region.
This means that an independent candidate should obtain a total of 7 000 nominations from registered voters.
“Under the Namibian constitutional dispensation, time may be mature for such a shake-up situation to occur as well. Particularly in the light of unpleasant tendencies we [have] witnessed in local governments and the ruling party,” Itula wrote.
“This may indeed be made possible on fertile grounds of dictatorial tendencies surfacing in relation to a catalogue of unilateral decisions since 2015 and dictatorial directives (sic).”
Itula added that “the events in the ruling party in the last few years, months and weeks certainly gave Namibians a reason to ponder as to whether an independent president is worth making a cross on the ballot paper for”.
“If any, the time is indeed ripe for such a bold but courageous move with all its inherent risks.”
Itula was, however, coy about whether he would be standing as an independent candidate earlier this month. When contacted yesterday, he said he didn't know what Swapo was talking about.
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