President Nujoma, most political parties give Bush nod of approval

THE Namibian Government and the majority of the country’s key political players say they are pleased that United States President George W Bush has been re-elected.

With the exception of the Congress of Democrats, who viewed his victory as “a sad moment for the world”, opposition political parties said yesterday that they agreed with Bush’s emphasis on the restoration of the moral fibre of society. President Sam Nujoma yesterday conveyed Namibia’s congratulations to Bush, emphasising the promotion of trade between the two countries in future.Namibia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said while it did not agree with Bush’s invasion of Iraq, it had enjoyed good bilateral relations with successive US administrations.Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Veiccoh Nghiwete said he did not foresee any changes in Namibia’s relationship with the US in the wake of Bush’s re-election.With a campaign largely based on setting parameters for the American value system, Bush managed to skirt around controversial issues such as the invasion of Iraq, economic decline and increasing unemployment in the US during his last four years in office.While Government and opposition parties said they did not approve of the US-led invasion of Iraq, political parties said they were impressed by Bush’s firmness on “social values”.”Moral issues have become important to people.Bush gave people the reassurance that he will do something about that,” said the Republican Party’s Henk Mudge, whose party carries strong views on the issue.Monitor Action Group’s Kosie Pretorius said there were strong similarities between him and Bush in that they viewed moral issues as major priorities.”I choose his principles [Bush and the Republicans] above the Democrats,” he said.However, the CoD’s Ben Ulenga said Bush’s “moral views” were too rigid and judgemental on issues such as abortion and homosexuality.The CoD, he said, believed in a more liberal approach to these issues and that they were not as cut and dried as Bush made them out to be.The CoD said it thought regime change was needed in the United States, just as in Namibia, and that it had favoured a win for Democratic candidate John Kerry.The DTA’s Katuutire Kaura said his party was “happy and delighted” that Bush had won and said his victory showed that the Americans viewed Bush as a “no-nonsense” person to deal with the threat of terrorism.Both Kaura and Nudo Secretary General Joseph Kauandenge believed that Bush had the interests of the African continent at heart.Kauandenge said the fact that both the Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice were both African-Americans bore testimony to this.”I believe that Bush is in a better position [than Kerry] to advance the African agenda,” argued Kauandenge.However, Ulenga said he was of the opinion that if Kerry had come to power, the Democrats would have been more sympathetic towards Africa and its problems.”Bush’s policies towards Africa are created by pressure.They are not his concerns, nor among his priorities,” said Ulenga.Pretorius, Mudge and Kaura all said they did not expect much change in the Bush administration’s policies and programmes for Africa.Opposition parties thought that in future Bush would be more cautious on foreign policy and with his re-election would move swiftly to end American interference in the Middle East.Mudge said he believed that without the pressure of having to win another election, Bush would have more freedom to do what he believed was right for his country.Swapo’s Deputy Secretary for Information and Mobilisation, Theopoline Mushelenga, said the party had not yet come together to discuss its view’s on Bush’s re-election.”I myself am in the bush, campaigning for my party,” she said.President Sam Nujoma yesterday conveyed Namibia’s congratulations to Bush, emphasising the promotion of trade between the two countries in future.Namibia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said while it did not agree with Bush’s invasion of Iraq, it had enjoyed good bilateral relations with successive US administrations.Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Veiccoh Nghiwete said he did not foresee any changes in Namibia’s relationship with the US in the wake of Bush’s re-election.With a campaign largely based on setting parameters for the American value system, Bush managed to skirt around controversial issues such as the invasion of Iraq, economic decline and increasing unemployment in the US during his last four years in office.While Government and opposition parties said they did not approve of the US-led invasion of Iraq, political parties said they were impressed by Bush’s firmness on “social values”.”Moral issues have become important to people.Bush gave people the reassurance that he will do something about that,” said the Republican Party’s Henk Mudge, whose party carries strong views on the issue.Monitor Action Group’s Kosie Pretorius said there were strong similarities between him and Bush in that they viewed moral issues as major priorities.”I choose his principles [Bush and the Republicans] above the Democrats,” he said.However, the CoD’s Ben Ulenga said Bush’s “moral views” were too rigid and judgemental on issues such as abortion and homosexuality.The CoD, he said, believed in a more liberal approach to these issues and that they were not as cut and dried as Bush made them out to be.The CoD said it thought regime change was needed in the United States, just as in Namibia, and that it had favoured a win for Democratic candidate John Kerry.The DTA’s Katuutire Kaura said his party was “happy and delighted” that Bush had won and said his victory showed that the Americans viewed Bush as a “no-nonsense” person to deal with the threat of terrorism.Both Kaura and Nudo Secretary General Joseph Kauandenge believed that Bush had the interests of the African continent at heart.Kauandenge said the fact that both the Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice were both African-Americans bore testimony to this.”I believe that Bush is in a better position [than Kerry] to advance the African agenda,” argued Kauandenge.However, Ulenga said he was of the opinion that if Kerry had come to power, the Democrats would have been more sympathetic towards Africa and its problems.”Bush’s policies towards Africa are created by pressure.They are not his concerns, nor among his priorities,” said Ulenga.Pretorius, Mudge and Kaura all said they did not expect much change in the Bush administration’s policies and programmes for Africa.Opposition parties thought that in future Bush would be more cautious on foreign policy and with his re-election would move swiftly to end American interference in the Middle East.Mudge said he believed that without the pressure of having to win another election, Bush would have more freedom to do what he believed was right for his country.Swapo’s Deputy Secretary for Information and Mobilisation, Theopoline Mushelenga, said the party had not yet come together to discuss its view’s on Bush’s re-election.”I myself am in the bush, campaigning for my party,” she said.