OPUWO ' Kunene Governor, Dudu Murorua, is asking to be charged with treason if he has committed acts that are a threat to peace and stability instead of Government enacting legislation that allows the President to appoint regional governors.

Murorua, who has been councillor for Kamanjab since 1999 and Kunene Governor since 2005, said the legislation ' recently passed in the National Assembly ' is 'an embarrassment to the entire Namibia and President Hifikepunye Pohamba', because it sends a message that voters who have voted for President Pohamba 'are not good enough to elect governors [of their own choice]'.

'We have changed legislation for one simple reason of one opposition party guy called Dudu Murorua,' said Governor Murorua, adding that he senses that he is stepping on other people's toes.

Murorua is the only opposition party regional governor out of 13 regional governors.

'We are changing the legislation because of one man [who] is a thorn in the flesh,' he said, adding that if the country's diverse people have caused it to manifest democracy then 'we have to honour our diversity through democracy [otherwise] we are going to kill democracy. We have an obligation to make sure that democracy prevails in Namibia'.

Murorua went on to say an opposition leader, or any other political leader, who commits acts or threatens peace and stability should be charged with treason under any given circumstances.

'Let me be charged [with treason] there is no need to change the law,' said Murorua.

Opposition parties have long cried foul over the legislation that empowers President Pohamba to appoint regional governors, and the UDF together with DTA, have taken the matter seriously saying the legislation is simply aimed at helping the ruling party gain political control of the Kunene Region.

The ruling party has only one seat in the Kunene Regional Council out of six seats for the constituencies of Epupa, Kamanjab, Khorixas, Sesfontein, Outjo and Opuwo.

UDF has seats for Khorixas, Sesfontein, and Kamanjab, while DTA has seats for Opuwo and Epupa.

Murorua is again the UDF candidate in the Kunene Regional Council seat for Kamanjab Constituency, along with fellow UDF current councillors for Khorixas and Sesfontein constituencies, Sebastian !Gobs and Hendrik Gaobaeb.

Nevertheless, the Special Advisor and Regional Governors Bill went through the National Assembly and sailed through the upper house, the National Council on the first day of debate, with little resistance from members.

Under the previous legislation, governors were elected from among elected councillors.