Swapo vague about MCA

THE Swapo Party has neither confirmed nor denied reports that it has decided to withdraw the controversial document on the Millennium Challenge Account from the National Assembly.

The ruling party’s Secretary General, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, said yesterday that Friday’s Politburo meeting decided that the National Assembly must “deal with the Millennium Challenge Agreement cognisant of the current prevailing circumstances”. “The document is before Parliament and it is going to be debated.Our position will be articulated in the National Assembly.Let’s allow Parliament to look into it,” Ithana said.She called the meeting to share resolutions from the Politburo meeting, which included a session with the Swapo Party Youth League and the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW).However, when pressed by The Namibian to categorically state whether the party had decided to withdraw the document or not, Ithana did not respond directly to the question.”The Parliament will decide what to do with the document,” she emphasised.Swapo sources maintain that the Politburo decided to withdraw the document for further consultations in Cabinet as well as with the party’s parliamentary caucus.Ithana confirmed that the Politburo decided to set up a think-tank to be chaired by Fisheries Minister Dr Abraham Iyambo.”The think tank has a broad mandate to investigate and interrogate matters of social, political and economic nature for onward submission to the Politburo for consideration,” she said.Sources, however, said the Iyambo team was set up to investigate SPYL’s claims and to present a report that will guide the party’s further actions.Prime Minister Nahas Angula will reportedly have to find a way of informing the National Assembly about the Swapo Party decision and also how to get it withdrawn without causing a fiasco.The American government wants to inject US$305 million in donor funding into Namibia through the Millennium Challenge Account, but the SPYL is very critical of some strings allegedly attached to the multimillion-dollar grant.They claim the US government, through private investors from that country, intend to take over two lodges in the Etosha National Park and two other parks in the North.One of the documents seen by The Namibian earlier states that the Ministry of Environment will award two lodges or exclusive access concessions for Etosha National Park and an additional two lodges within other national parks in northern Namibia, with a minimum term of 10 years and allocated through competitive bidding, to private sector and conservancy joint ventures.SPYL leaders charge that that alone cast doubt on the money given by the US government.”The document is before Parliament and it is going to be debated.Our position will be articulated in the National Assembly.Let’s allow Parliament to look into it,” Ithana said.She called the meeting to share resolutions from the Politburo meeting, which included a session with the Swapo Party Youth League and the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW).However, when pressed by The Namibian to categorically state whether the party had decided to withdraw the document or not, Ithana did not respond directly to the question.”The Parliament will decide what to do with the document,” she emphasised.Swapo sources maintain that the Politburo decided to withdraw the document for further consultations in Cabinet as well as with the party’s parliamentary caucus.Ithana confirmed that the Politburo decided to set up a think-tank to be chaired by Fisheries Minister Dr Abraham Iyambo.”The think tank has a broad mandate to investigate and interrogate matters of social, political and economic nature for onward submission to the Politburo for consideration,” she said.Sources, however, said the Iyambo team was set up to investigate SPYL’s claims and to present a report that will guide the party’s further actions.Prime Minister Nahas Angula will reportedly have to find a way of informing the National Assembly about the Swapo Party decision and also how to get it withdrawn without causing a fiasco.The American government wants to inject US$305 million in donor funding into Namibia through the Millennium Challenge Account, but the SPYL is very critical of some strings allegedly attached to the multimillion-dollar grant.They claim the US government, through private investors from that country, intend to take over two lodges in the Etosha National Park and two other parks in the North.One of the documents seen by The Namibian earlier states that the Ministry of Environment will award two lodges or exclusive access concessions for Etosha National Park and an additional two lodges within other national parks in northern Namibia, with a minimum term of 10 years and allocated through competitive bidding, to private sector and conservancy joint ventures.SPYL leaders charge that that alone cast doubt on the money given by the US government.