Political Perspective

SO the Swapo Extraordinary Congress, which was eagerly awaited by a majority of Namibians, came and went, leaving an almost anti-climatic aftermath.

The Congress was preceded by strong indications that there was change in the air, yet the outcome can perhaps be characterised by two things which prove the contrary: that the President’s monolithic power base remains mostly intact and that the status quo won the day with the election of Hifikepunye Pohamba as Swapo’s president-in-waiting. THE historic three-cornered contest between Nahas Angula, Hidipo Hamutenya and Hifikepunye Pohamba took place in an atmosphere charged with tension and excitement, both in and out of the Congress hall.More so because the President’s preference had been made clear at earlier meetings of the Politburo and Central Committee and, when only days before the watershed congress, he took the unprecedented step of dismissing Foreign Minister Hidipo Hamutenya.If any delegates had therefore missed earlier signals, they could not fail to pick up on this one! Be that as it may.From those I have spoken too, the process at the Congress itself was as free and fair as it could be and credit must go to the presiding officer.Although a ‘first’ in Swapo’s history, the election was conducted in an impeccable manner to all intents and purposes.Each candidate was motivated (Hamutenya by Mose Tjitendero; Pohamba by President Nujoma; and Angula by Libertina Amathila) and had equal time to make their presentations.The voting was by secret ballot and each camp could inspect every paper; the ballots were videoed and the counting audited.After the first round, when Angula fell out and there was no clear majority for either one of the other two, there was no interruption.Delegates could not leave the hall, and voting took place as a continuous process and there could be no meddling.Any influence, lobbying, trade-offs that happened, therefore, took place prior to delegates taking their seats in Congress.Naturally after the final vote was in with 167 for Hamutenya and 341 for Pohamba, people speculated about why, with the exception of one, the entire Angula vote went to Pohamba.Was this by coincidence or design? I guess we may never know.But the outcome must be said to represent the feeling at Congress, for each and every delegate voted secretly, and hopefully in the manner he/she saw fit.Many variables could have come into play.Certain sections of the Congress might have had clear guidelines (given prior to Congress, not during) as to who they should vote for in whatever scenario.But they still retained the right to vote with their conscience.Another factor had to do with the presentations, even the motivations.Hamutenya’s presentation was judged to be uninspired and uninspiring, whereas Pohamba apparently surprised with an apparently sparky performance.An additional factor could be weighed into the equation as well: that the final vote count for Pohamba could have in fact primarily constituted votes against Hidipo rather than for the former.Circumstances undoubtedly influenced voting, but there is nothing wrong with this.Judging from the views of several people I spoke to, many felt that because the President had agreed to step down and go quietly, he should be given his final wish:the candidate of his choice.Others may have looked at future scenarios, particularly the stability or continuity, factor.An outcome in favour of Hamutenya would most certainly have meant a rocky road ahead, despite the President’s assurances that he would accept the outcome.We all know he would not have.Does the Pohamba victory (of 341 votes as opposed to Hamutenya’s 167) mean an effective fourth term for the President? In some ways, yes.In others, perhaps not.Once in power, perhaps Pohamba will assert himself, perhaps not.I take the latter viewpoint, and I do believe that Nujoma’s influence will endure throughout the Pohamba term.The scenarios would have been different whichever way the chips had fallen.If Pohamba had gone out first round, leaving Hamutenya and Angula, one wonders which way things would have gone.Likewise if Hamutenya had fallen out in the first round.For better or for worse, we have to accept the outcome:Congress voted for the conservative option – continuity and the status quo – rather than for possible innovation and change.As for the candidates themselves:one got the prize; another kept his job; and a third is out in the cold.There’s still major damage control to be done by Swapo in order to mend the rift.— NOTE: This is a re-post of the article from June 4, which for some reason did not upload properly. We apologise for the inconvenience.THE historic three-cornered contest between Nahas Angula, Hidipo Hamutenya and Hifikepunye Pohamba took place in an atmosphere charged with tension and excitement, both in and out of the Congress hall.More so because the President’s preference had been made clear at earlier meetings of the Politburo and Central Committee and, when only days before the watershed congress, he took the unprecedented step of dismissing Foreign Minister Hidipo Hamutenya.If any delegates had therefore missed earlier signals, they could not fail to pick up on this one! Be that as it may.From those I have spoken too, the process at the Congress itself was as free and fair as it could be and credit must go to the presiding officer.Although a ‘first’ in Swapo’s history, the election was conducted in an impeccable manner to all intents and purposes.Each candidate was motivated (Hamutenya by Mose Tjitendero; Pohamba by President Nujoma; and Angula by Libertina Amathila) and had equal time to make their presentations.The voting was by secret ballot and each camp could inspect every paper; the ballots were videoed and the counting audited.After the first round, when Angula fell out and there was no clear majority for either one of the other two, there was no interruption.Delegates could not leave the hall, and voting took place as a continuous process and there could be no meddling.Any influence, lobbying, trade-offs that happened, therefore, took place prior to delegates taking their seats in Congress.Naturally after the final vote was in with 167 for Hamutenya and 341 for Pohamba, people speculated about why, with the exception of one, the entire Angula vote went to Pohamba.Was this by coincidence or design? I guess we may never know.But the outcome must be said to represent the feeling at Congress, for each and every delegate voted secretly, and hopefully in the manner he/she saw fit.Many variables could have come into play.Certain sections of the Congress might have had clear guidelines (given prior to Congress, not during) as to who they should vote for in whatever scenario.But they still retained the right to vote with their conscience.Another factor had to do with the presentations, even the motivations.Hamutenya’s presentation was judged to be uninspired and uninspiring, whereas Pohamba apparently surprised with an apparently sparky performance.An additional factor could be weighed into the equation as well: that the final vote count for Pohamba could have in fact primarily constituted votes against Hidipo rather than for the former.Circumstances undoubtedly influenced voting, but there is nothing wrong with this.Judging from the views of several people I spoke to, many felt that because the President had agreed to step down and go quietly, he should be given his final wish:the candidate of his choice.Others may have looked at future scenarios, particularly the stability or continuity, factor.An outcome in favour of Hamutenya would most certainly have meant a rocky road ahead, despite the President’s assurances that he would accept the outcome.We all know he would not have.Does the Pohamba victory (of 341 votes as opposed to Hamutenya’s 167) mean an effective fourth term for the President? In some ways, yes.In others, perhaps not.Once in power, perhaps Pohamba will assert himself, perhaps not.I take the latter viewpoint, and I do believe that Nujoma’s influence will endure throughout the Pohamba term.The scenarios would have been different whichever way the chips had fallen.If Pohamba had gone out first round, leaving Hamutenya and Angula, one wonders which way things would have gone.Likewise if Hamutenya had fallen out in the first round.For better or for worse, we have to accept the outcome:Congress voted for the conservative option – continuity and the status quo – rather than for possible innovation and change.As for the candidates themselves:one got the prize; another kept his job; and a third is out in the cold.There’s still major damage control to be done by Swapo in order to mend the rift.— NOTE: This is a re-post of the article from June 4, which for some reason did not upload properly. We apologise for the inconvenience.