Nudo plans electoral college amid leadership dispute

The National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) will on 5 October decide who will be the party’s presidential candidate for the November elections amid leadership drama.

This is just days before the deadline for parties to nominate their candidate for the presidential position on 16 October.

“The decision whether we will field a presidential candidate or not will be discussed at our upcoming electoral college,” Nudo secretary general Joseph Kauandenge said yesterday.

The party’s incumbent president, Ester Muinjangue, has said she would not be running for re-election as party president. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says it cannot interfere in internal party disputes. “We do not interfere or engage in party politics,” ECN spokesperson De Wet Siluka says.

‘WE ARE LEGITIMATE’

On Saturday, a splinter group at a congress in Windhoek elected Barry Rukoro to challenge the Muinjangue-led leadership.

Defending Rukoro’s presidency, Tjizapouzeu Uahupirapi, who was voted as the splinter group’s secretary general, yesterday said they conducted a legitimate congress. “We conducted a very transparent and legitimate elective process, one that will not be degraded by anything members of the former disgraced leadership may say.

“If Mr Kauandenge or any other former leader wishes to campaign for Nudo they will do so under this brand new leadership,” he said. Uahupirapi said in representative democratic systems, leaders should be obliged to renew their mandate before they can continue to serve beyond their original term. “The ECN must not protect party constitutional delinquents under the pretext of an authorised party representative,” he said.

According to him, an “overwhelming majority” of Nudo branches will soon pronounce themselves clearer regarding where they stand on the matter. Uahupirapi said Muinjangue’s leadership has taken the position to work very hard at trying to justify the wrong decisions taken at the wrong platforms, rather than trying to heal the widening divide they allowed to develop between the people and themselves. “We are not blind to the fact that the former party leadership is adamant to shamelessly cling to power for their own personal benefit. That is the very reason the broader support base has called upon us to take up the mantle and do all we can to liberate our party from capture,” he said.

He accused Muinjangue’s leadership of not basing their arguments on the Nudo constitution and its relevant articles. “In the absence of that, their statements will only serve to confirm their ineligibility to occupy the space they are claiming,” Uahupirapi said.

Kauandenge on Sunday dismissed the legitimacy of the congress that elected Rukoro as president.

He said Nudo’s official congress will be held next year in May as per the resolution of Nudo’s highest decision-making body, the National Council, which took that resolution on 31 August at its sixth meeting in Windhoek. “Furthermore, the same body as empowered by the constitution also re-affirmed that the current Nudo leadership under Ester Muinjangue will lead the party until the next congress is held next year,” Kauandenge said. Uahupirapi is one of the 12 members who were suspended by Muinjangue last week.The others are Rukambe, George Muesee, Samuel Kaijata, Ngavipangurue Makari, Lazarus Kaapama, Nduno Mbaha, Ernie Putuaota, Mbahimua Kamukuendjandje, Okeri Uakurama and Clay Katjihingua.