New Era

WINDHOEK - Several opposition parties that won parliamentary seats in last year's general elections were yesterday locked in intra-party consultations on whether to avail their members for swearing in on Friday, pending the verdict of the Supreme Court in the current election case, or not.

This after the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) decided not to send its eight elected members to Parliament before the Supreme Court pronounces itself on the matter.

Secretary to the National Assembly, Jakes Jacobs, issued a notice yesterday informing the nine political parties that have won seats in Parliament that they would be sworn in on Friday.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, is expected to make a public announcement on the swearing in today.

RDP spokesperson, Jeremiah Nambinga, confirmed to New Era yesterday that his party has resolved not to avail its members for swearing in until the Supreme Court has ruled on the application lodged by eight opposition parties to have a recent High Court verdict on the election case set aside.

"It is a logical decision by our party. We have a pending court case in the Supreme Court and we are challenging the outcome of the elections and it is on the basis of those results that parties are going to Parliament," Nambinga said.

The leadership of the United Democratic Front (UDF) was set to meet last evening to deliberate on whether or not to send party President Justus Garoeb and Simson Tjongarero to Parliament before the Supreme Court verdict is out.

All People's Party (APP), which has won a single seat in the National Assembly, was also set to have a meeting with its national leaders yesterday to decide on the swearing in issue.

"Our leadership meets today (Monday) to ponder on the matter and would reach our own verdict today. I should, however, make it clear that we are an independent party and do not necessarily have to do what the RDP is doing," APP leader, Ignatius Shixwameni, said yesterday.

Nudo, which won two seats, said it has not contemplated the idea of boycotting Friday's event and may therefore avail its two Parliament-bound members.

"We have not met as a party to discuss that subject," said Arnold Tjihuiko, one of the two Nudo candidates destined for the National Assembly. Republican Party President, Henk Mudge, also said the party was to meet yesterday afternoon to brainstorm on whether he, the only party member bound for Parliament, should be sworn in on Friday.

"It's not an easy decision. We want to act in a very, very responsible manner as a party because as much as we don't care about what the public says about us, we also don't want to be seen as a party that wants to bring about crisis," Mudge said. The Congress of Democrats (CoD) is also one of the parties that have not considered the idea of shunning Parliament, according to party spokesperson, Natji Tjirera.

"We didn't discuss anything in that line. I for one do not see justification for boycotting Parliament at this juncture. This is not the first election case in Namibia and the rulings of the previous ones were delivered months after Parliament had been sworn in already," Tjirera said.

Crisis, what crisis?

RDP's Nambinga said his party's decision not to avail members for Parliament before the Supreme Court verdict, was taken after careful consideration of necessary legal provisions.

"There are people there who want to dramatise things and assume we want to create a crisis in the country. We're doing everything according to the provisions of the law," Nambinga said.

Currently, there is uncertainty as to what would happen in the event that the RDP stands by its decision, because current indications are that the Supreme Court is not likely to give its verdict anytime before the fifth Parliament resumes business.

One of the first crucial tasks of the new Parliament would be the tabling and ultimately debate on the national budget. This, after Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila confirmed last week that the budget would only be tabled after the new Parliament has been sworn in. The absence of eight RDP parliamentarians and possibly others from any party that might also boycott would leave a huge vacuum in Parliament when their contribution to the all-important national budget is needed most.

While the RDP decision seems to have been taken out of principle, many other opposition parties may put solidarity aside and instead take their seats in Parliament.

This is likely because of the bread-and-butter side of the matter, as Parliament has become central to many politicians' incomes.

Back to Top