I would like to start with giving my advice and views to our democratically elected representatives those are going to be nominated and those who are representing us now, more especially members of parliament (National Assembly and National Council).

Some of our representatives do not truly represent us, because we, citizens often do not nominate them in the first place.

They are representing their respective political party leadership.

Representatives who have been so nominated by their leaders, once elected to office as parliamentarians and councillors, become subservient to these leaders.

Instead of this representative being accountable to the voters they are only responsible and accountable to their political leaders who nominated them, and who also have the power to remove them.

Therefore such representatives strive to please their leaders often in patronclient relationships.

Such relationships are often maintained at the expense of the voters and the general public.

This is why once in their office, most parliamentarians and councillors may not do what the public expects them to do.

I know that these representatives are not really representing us because citizens are not the ones who nominate them.

What I want to emphasis is that: I can see that the topdown appointment of candidates is not a good way to go.

Voters have to nominate their own representatives.

Such representatives nominated by the voters themselves know the needs of citizens better than imposed candidates do.

Voters also nominate a person who they know and who they trust.

This system of the top-down fashion of nomination must be stopped and bottom up fashion must be introduced in the political parties.

I know if we do this, our country will be a good example to other countries.

Furthermore our representatives will be accountable to all citizens.

The representatives nominated by voters themselves will work in the interest of their voters and not in interest of their political leaders, because they know that if they do not work in the interest of their voters in the next election they will be kicked out.

I wrote this letter because I know that we as citizens really need to be represented to the people who can understand our problems.

Asteria K. Amushila
Windhoek

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