Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula says he will announce a shadow cabinet to provide policy alternatives and keep Cabinet in check.
At a press conference in Windhoek on Thursday announcing the party’s shadow ministers for the next five years, Itula said his party will not comply with the calls and requests to take up the office of the leader of opposition.
He said the list of the 20 IPC members joining the National Assembly – which does not include Itula – does not designate a leader, and that neither the Electoral Act nor the Electoral Commission of Namibia have designated any of the members as the IPC’s leader.
He added that he does not intend to go to parliament himself, telling those he suspects of waiting to engage with him there to “put your knives away”.
Itula was referring to reported suggestions that he occupy the ‘leader of the opposition’ position vacated by Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) president McHenry Venaani.
He argued that the position is “unconstitutional” and a violation of the executive’s powers because it was created by a presidential proclamation in 2017 without being endorsed by parliament.
He also claimed that the IPC had to search for the proclamation to inform the public, slamming the incumbent government for hiding such information from the public dormant as it was not available on public domain systems.
Itula said no gazettes or proclamations should be hidden from the public, arguing this alleged concealment bypassed the constitution to create a position as a gesture of democracy by the 2017 Swapo-led government
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