The Paramount Chief of the Hereros, Kuaima Riruako, yesterday resigned, taking with him some members of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo).

Riruako is President of Nudo.

His decision to break with the DTA follows hot on the heels of the Republican Party's breakaway.

After cutting its ties with the DTA, the RP immediately registered a candidate for next week's regional by-election in Windhoek West.

Riruako claims he has the backing of a number of Herero traditional leaders, who have instructed him to campaign for a federal state in Namibia.

He claimed conditions in the DTA had worsened to such an extent that he had no other option than to remove Nudo in order to save the Hereros from under-development and poor leadership.

Nudo was established by former Herero Paramount Chief, the late Chief Hosea Kutako, in September 1964.

Yesterday the DTA played down the split, saying Nudo was still a member of the DTA and that the rest of its leadership would remain within the alliance.

"Nudo can in no way move out of the DTA," said McHenry Venaani, Nudo Secretary for Information and Publicity.

"Not today, not tomorrow or in the future.

The Chief has no backing from the national leadership of Nudo.

The structures of Nudo will repudiate him".

Nudo Vice President, Bishop Azaria Kamburona, and Chairman Katuutire Kaura have all pledged their support to the DTA, he said.

"They are not with him.

He should have lobbied them first.

The Chief needs strategic minds behind him.

Right now, he has no backing of strategic thinkers," Venaani added.

But, Riruako said: "I have the right as President to remove Nudo from the DTA.

They wanted Nudo to smelt (sic) in the DTA.

Every three years I have been asking for a congress and they refused all the time.

Even the traditional leaders have no right to vote.

They are ex-officio members in Nudo".

Bidding farewell to the National Assembly yesterday afternoon, Riruako vowed he would register Nudo as an independent party and be back after the next general elections.

"We will miss your contributions," responded Prime Minister Theo-Ben Gurirab in his capacity as leader of Parliament.

While the DTA suggested that Riruako had dug his own grave, others differed.

They speculated he could "score big" on the rural vote through his relationship with the powerful traditional leadership.

Riruako claimed some Damaras and whites would follow him, including the South West Africa People's Democratic United Front (Swapduf).

But this was denied by Swapduf President Albert Tsuob.

"We share his concerns about the problems in the DTA and I suggested that we sit down to discuss it before meeting the national leadership to solve the problems.

We do not support his actions and Swapduf will not join him," Tsuob said.

Meanwhile, the United Democratic Front (UDF), which has an alliance with the DTA in Parliament, said it will adopt a wait-and-see attitude.

"We will first watch the developments as they unfold.

Whatever statement we make will be determined by that," UDF spokesperson Jana Claasen said.

It is not the first time Riruako has called on Nudo to walk out of the DTA.

He made a similar statement in 1992, but to no avail.

This time, he said, he had a good case especially after the DTA rejected his call for a federal system of governance in Namibia.

Riruako said the call was made by frustrated Herero traditional leaders who attended a meeting at Otjinene.

"You can't rule the people with an iron hand.

The majority will not shut me up," he said.

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