Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Former football administrator and aspiring politician, Barry Rukoro stated that if the current leadership of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) cannot be removed by democratic means, it will be done by exposing their criminality.
Rukoro made these comments during an interview with the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday.
He was reacting to the news that the NUDO leadership had resolved to postpone the elective congress until next year.
“If the congress is not taking place now, we shall wait by keeping ourselves busy demanding proper reports, including a forensic audit of the party books. If we cannot get the current leadership out of office by democratic means, we shall do so by proving their criminality,” he said.
Rukoro, who is aspiring for the party presidency, accused the current party leadership of having “mischievously” manipulated the delegates into believing that they planned to have an elective congress while they were planning to collapse it.
According to Rukoro, this was the leadership’s plan to continue holding office beyond their term of office.
“They also did so because they could not report the gross abuse of party funds. In any other mature democracy, parliament would hold a parliamentary inquiry on the matter and the Electoral Commission would have forewarned them about NUDO’s participation in a democratic process, the national elections, while their own participants have not been brought forward through a democratic process,” said Rukoro.
The party was due to host a congress in Windhoek last month to elect new leaders.
However, disagreements among the delegates led to the last-minute cancellation of the congress.
Rukoro said he is prepared to go the long haul, and along with his supporters, they can also be innovative about how they can get what they want.
He said they are not in a hurry and will soon indicate a clear direction as to how they are going forward.
“If congress is not taking place now, we shall wait by keeping ourselves busy demanding proper reports, including a forensic audit of the party books. If we cannot get the current leadership out of office by democratic means, we shall do so by proving their criminality. We are told that the Electoral Commission has audited NUDO’s financial reports for every one of the last five years of the current leadership. That in itself goes to show just how easy it is to mislead the Electoral Commission,” stated Rukoro.
Another aspiring presidential candidate, Vetaruhe Kandorozu, said he is deeply concerned and disappointed by the postponement of the congress.
According to him, the decision to delay the congress undermines the democratic principles of the party.
“The elective congress is a crucial event for the democratic processes within our party, offering a platform for transparent and fair elections to determine our future leadership. The decision to delay this event undermines the democratic principles we uphold and casts a shadow on the transparency and integrity of the organisation,” said Kandorozu.
He further added that the postponement has led to significant disruption and uncertainty among all aspirants and their supporters.
He said some have invested considerable time, resources and energy in preparing for the congress, believing it to be a pivotal moment for the party’s future.
“This delay not only stalls the democratic process but also raises questions about the reasons behind the postponement, which have not been adequately communicated to the aspirants,” questioned Kandorozu.
NUDO Secretary General Joseph Kauandenge could not confirm yet if the congress is postponed to next year because the leadership has yet to decide on the way forward.
“I can’t confirm anything yet. The National Executive Committee will sit on 24 August and that’s when we will decide the way forward,” said Kauandenge.
