NA session becomes Swapo rally

THE National Assembly yesterday afternoon turned into a theatre for a Swapo victory celebration over the Omuthiya local elections in which Swapo took six of the seven seats.

The Rally for Democracy (RDP) one the other seat. The stage was set by the Speaker, Theo-Ben Gurirab, who congratulated Swapo on the election victory.Gurirab’s words were greeted with ululating and applause from the ruling Swapo Party benches.This was happening in full view of a visiting parliamentary delegation from the Seychelles.Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, who doubles as Swapo Secretary General, then took the stage to deliver a Swapo victory speech, hailing the Omuthiya win as an overwhelming “victory for Swapo, my party”.Iivula-Ithana, who was recently widowed, said that the Omuthiya voters have enabled her “to share in the joy of life again” and thanked fellow MPs for their “support and understanding” during her period of mourning.She further praised Swapo voters at Omuthiya for having conducted themselves in a “peaceful and calm manner” during the run-up to the newly established local authority elections.Campaigning at the new town at times reached fever pitch and the elections were called off three times because of violence and complaints of irregularities in election preparations.During the campaign a person was shot at when violence broke out between Swapo and RDP members at the town.A female Police officer was injured during the shooting that happened at the entrance to Iivula-Ithana’s butchery at the town.In her victory address to Parliament yesterday, Iivula-Ithana blamed the media and the RDP, saying they “falsely” painted “Omuthiya as a violent and intolerant place”.”Leading that chorus were those who have formed themselves undemocratically and yet purporting to be democrats,” Iivula-Ithana lashed out at the RDP, which is not represented in the National Assembly.She reminded her party members that Omuthiya is not the end of road and called on them to prepare themselves and “campaign vigorously for the (next regional) by-election at the Tobias Hainyeko constitution (on October 31) and move into the next gear for the 2009 presidential and National Assembly elections with vigour and determination”.Turning to the region, the minister said the liberation movements of yesteryear should “stand in unity and solidarity” against the “neo-colonial onslaught”.”The neo-colonial agenda of trying to penetrate our ranks, to cause disunity and confusion, should be rejected vociferously through the democratic process,” Iivula-Ithana said, adding that the democracy enjoyed in the region today is because of the work of the liberation movements.The stage was set by the Speaker, Theo-Ben Gurirab, who congratulated Swapo on the election victory.Gurirab’s words were greeted with ululating and applause from the ruling Swapo Party benches.This was happening in full view of a visiting parliamentary delegation from the Seychelles.Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, who doubles as Swapo Secretary General, then took the stage to deliver a Swapo victory speech, hailing the Omuthiya win as an overwhelming “victory for Swapo, my party”.Iivula-Ithana, who was recently widowed, said that the Omuthiya voters have enabled her “to share in the joy of life again” and thanked fellow MPs for their “support and understanding” during her period of mourning.She further praised Swapo voters at Omuthiya for having conducted themselves in a “peaceful and calm manner” during the run-up to the newly established local authority elections.Campaigning at the new town at times reached fever pitch and the elections were called off three times because of violence and complaints of irregularities in election preparations.During the campaign a person was shot at when violence broke out between Swapo and RDP members at the town.A female Police officer was injured during the shooting that happened at the entrance to Iivula-Ithana’s butchery at the town.In her victory address to Parliament yesterday, Iivula-Ithana blamed the media and the RDP, saying they “falsely” painted “Omuthiya as a violent and intolerant place”.”Leading that chorus were those who have formed themselves undemocratically and yet purporting to be democrats,” Iivula-Ithana lashed out at the RDP, which is not represented in the National Assembly.She reminded her party members that Omuthiya is not the end of road and called on them to prepare themselves and “campaign vigorously for the (next regional) by-election at the Tobias Hainyeko constitution (on October 31) and move into the next gear for the 2009 presidential and National Assembly elections with vigour and determination”.Turning to the region, the minister said the liberation movements of yesteryear should “stand in unity and solidarity” against the “neo-colonial onslaught”.”The neo-colonial agenda of trying to penetrate our ranks, to cause disunity and confusion, should be rejected vociferously through the democratic process,” Iivula-Ithana said, adding that the democracy enjoyed in the region today is because of the work of the liberation movements.