Ester Mbathera
Martin Lukato, leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), made it to the National Assembly after running his party single-handedly for more than 20 years.
Lukato’s journey has been one of resilience, often met with ridicule as he campaigned alone, hosting rallies with only a handful of journalists in attendance.
Not even his own family members were actively involved in his political campaigns, yet he persisted.
This year, Lukato’s perseverance appears to have paid off, with the NDP securing 6 647 votes, an increase from the 4 559 votes obtained in the 2019 elections.
The numbers place him ahead of several established political parties, including the All People’s Party (APP) and the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), both of which currently hold seats in the National Assembly.
“Thanks to everyone who supported, campaigned and voted for the NDP. By God’s grace, we will make it. I salute you all,” he said.
Despite his achievements, Lukato remains grounded.
He is still at his homestead in Queensland Village, where he celebrated his 64th birthday on Tuesday.
“I don’t know how many votes I have right now because I missed the last announcement because the network for TV is not good here,” he said.
Lukato said he can’t comment on the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN)’s performance at the moment.
“I will comment once everything else is done,” he said.
Political analyst Rui Tyitende said that Lukato’s election to parliament will inspire people from his village to never give up on life, no matter the circumstances.
“Lukato’s presence in the National Assembly will solidify American poet Maya Angelou’s message of hope that ‘You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.’ In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, and how you can still come out of it,” said Tyitende.
He added that Lukato’s contribution to the lawmaking process will be minimal, as fellow parliamentarians will not take him seriously because of his personality.
Political analyst Marius Kudumo added that Lukato’s presence in parliament is significant in view of the fact that the party has been in existence for some time but has not been represented in the National Assembly.
“Representation in the National Assembly will afford him the platform to articulate the party’s ideology and policies. His personality will add flavour to the work of the National Assembly,” said Kudumo.
Kudumo added that Lukato’s presence could also bring attention to issues specific to the Zambezi region, fostering equitable development and inclusivity.
“Members of the National Assembly, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, represent all the people of Namibia. Being a party with a support base in the Zambezi Region is, therefore, of no relevance. However, representation would allow him to articulate issues peculiar to the Zambezi Region and place such issues on the national agenda in the context of equitable development and inclusivity,” he said.
According to Kudumo, the NDP leader will add value to the work of the Parliamentary Standing Committees through public hearings and, thus, public engagement in the democratic processes and public policy making.
Political commentator Gibson Goseb commended Lukato’s efforts to get to the votes he received thus far.
“Without a single cent from the central government to assist with campaign expenses, I commend him for digging deep and succeeding in having a footprint in the national assembly in the Republic of Namibia,” said Goseb.
He advised Lukato to ensure that he surrounds himself with sector intellectuals to assist him in providing informed and meaningful contributions to the national assembly.
“New entrants to the national assembly must ensure that they move motions that are geared towards finding workable solutions to youth unemployment, housing and infrastructure development with specifics pinned on countrywide increments of classrooms, sports facilities and housing for teachers, especially in rural areas,” said Goseb.
Retired diplomat Pius Dunaiski added that Lukato represents a very significant political breakthrough for the Zambezi region.
“Such a win assumes huge symbolic value that Zambezians want their real own to represent them. It sends out a strong message to others, in particular Swapo and the IPC, that identity politics have no mean sway among these people. That aligns to the region’s political history, before and after independence,” said Dunaiski.
The Caprivi African National Union (CANU) previously had an agreement with Swapo, which has occasionally been a point of contention in public.
Swapo’s many and varied political enticements could not quell the secessionist movement in Zambezi after Namibia’s independence.
This, according to Dunaiski, left the Zambezi region with a number of prestigious political positions, such as governors and ministers, which were distributed asymmetrically.
According to Dunaiski, Lukato’s presence in parliament would be closely followed by the ethnic people of the Zambezi, but it can also inspire many other tribal groups to emulate him.
“All tribes want to see their ‘own’ there, voicing their aspirations, challenges and culture. If I were the president of Namibia, I would offer Mr Lukato a ministerial post to precipitate stronger engagement and drop all the other Zambezi ministers or party functionaries in Zambezi. The political aim is to listen carefully to all tribal grievances and solidify a nation fragmented by political pretenders or ethnic entrepreneurs. Lukato solely speaks for the Zambezi. He obtained a strong mandate and regional engagements are crucial,” said Dunaiski.
Parliamentary seat allocation
These elections utilise a proportional representation system based on the party lists each political.
Each party must submit a list containing a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 96 candidates.
The seats are allocated based on the quota of valid votes per seat as outlined in Article 46. Section 1A of the Namibian constitution. Allocation of seats in the National Assembly to determine the number of seats a political party receives, the total votes cast for that party are divided by the quota of votes required per seat.
For example with 824 929 votes and 96. For seats available, the quota is calculated as 824 929 ÷ 96 which equals 8593 votes per seat. The number of seats each party receives is determined by dividing the total votes by the quota with any surplus votes potentially influencing seat allocation in subsequent rounds.
