•  December 2000February 2001 Local News Headlines

Wednesday, February 28, 2001 - Web posted at 8:27:52 AM GMT

Gurirab 'to lose post but remain CoD MP'
MAX HAMATA

THE Congress of Democrats National Executive Committee has agreed to "relieve" Tsudao Gurirab of his position as the party's Secretary General.

But an earlier report that Gurirab was to resign as a CoD MP has been denied by the opposition party."

"Gurirab has indicated he is no longer interested in the position of Secretary General but he will remain a CoD member of parliament.

He is keeping his seat in parliament," CoD spokesperson Linus Chata told The Namibian.

A CoD statement denied that Gurirab was being removed from the Secretary General position due to a "wave of pressure" against him from a faction within the party called the 'concerned group'.

The statement said a Congress Review Committee report which referred to problems raised by the 'concerned group' dealt with issues before the party's launch congress in July 1999 and had nothing to do with Gurirab's tenure as Secretary General.

"Reference to the existence of a concerned group beyond the discussions around the launching Congress does, therefore, not make much sense," the statement added.

The CoD said that its annual conference in December last year had "basically endorsed" a proposed amendment to the party's constitution which would make the post of Secretary General a full-time, paid position.

This would mean the post could not be held by an MP who would be busy with parliamentary responsibilities.

The statement said a party conference in March was expected to debate and refine the proposal on the post of Secretary General.

Chata said Gurirab would remain Secretary General until March 17, when the CoD conference would take place.

The party termed an earlier report in The Namibian, which was based on information from an impeccable source, on Gurirab's resignation as an MP as "purely speculative".

Approached for comment, the party's leader, Ben Ulenga, said: "If he (Gurirab) feels that the conditions of the Secretary General don't suit him he is free to resign.

If he feels that he can't fit in with the new conditions he can still remain in parliament and the new Secretary General will have to be appointed to serve the party on a full-time basis.

But he will have to vacate that position.

The Secretary General must be a full-time functionary of the party." caption

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