Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Those contesting for the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) presidency at the party’s upcoming elective congress, are not allowed to campaign individually but will have to do so with other candidates to avoid divisions within the party.
The party’s secretary general, Joseph Kauandenge, announced this during a media conference at Parliament on Wednesday.
“As a strategic decision to avert disunity among party members, slate politics is completely obliterated. Hence, no aspirant leaders will be allowed to organise individual or solo formal public campaigns; however, aspirants can campaign freely on a small scale internally,” he said.
He said this was one of the resolutions adopted during the party’s National Council meeting on 21 April.
Kauandenge said NUDO learned from its past elective congress, where individuals who campaigned for the presidency position were given the liberty to campaign individually.
However, this he said created squabbles and left the party divided, which is still being felt today.
The party’s elective congress was initially scheduled for this coming weekend but was postponed to 12 to 14 July.
Kauandenge added that the past five years have been difficult for the leadership because of the infightings from its members and people from outside the party trying to tear it down.
“For the past five years, we have not run the party as we wished for, because of the squabbles from our members. We have become our own worst enemy; you claim to love the party, but at the same time, you are busy trying to destroy it. But as the leadership, we managed to navigate through difficult times and steer the party in the right direction,” expressed Kauandenge.
He blasted those questioning the party’s financial status and claimed that those at the helm of the party were not accountable.
To this, Kauandenge said, the current leadership is the first to submit audited financial reports for the past four years, something that has never been done in the past.
“Recently, we saw reports that the Electoral Commission of Namibia has deregistered some political parties for not complying with electoral law. Why do you think NUDO was not deregistered? It is because we comply with the law by submitting our audited financial reports annually,” he stressed.
The party president, Esther Muinjangue, who recently announced that she has pulled out of the presidential race, said she was voted to serve for a five-year term and she is stepping down because her term is coming to an end.
“I am not greedy about holding onto power, and I am egocentric about not wanting to give others a chance to lead the party. But I am fully aware of both internal and external forces trying to destroy the party, and I want whoever is going to take over to unite the party,” she said.
Muinjangue added that even though she pulled out of the presidential race, she remains a proud member of the party whether she occupies a high or lower position in the party.
