Since the release last week of court documents on the case, the party has been involved in a flurry of meetings which are set to culminate in a "crucial" meeting tonight at which acting Secretary General, Usiel Tjijenda, is expected to be grilled about the ballot papers discovered at Okahandja.

The ballots are alleged to be from last year's National Assembly elections and are at the heart of a legal challenge by some opposition parties, which claim the election was flawed.

CONCERNS ALL ROUND

Swapo is reportedly not averse to some sort of co-operation with the Herero-based party.

The ruling party is believed to be keen to accommodate National Unity Democratic Organisation President Kuaima Riruako in some way in an effort to woo back the Herero constituency.

In addition to the dust the Tjijenda ballot incident has kicked up, there are concerns among some Nudo members that any attempt to climb into bed with Swapo will lead to the eventual dissolution of Nudo, which only last year divorced itself from the DTA.

This is expected to be raised at tonight's national bureau meeting when the party's attempts to form a 'government of national unity' with Swapo will also come up for discussion.

Meanwhile, Chief Riruako held an urgent meeting with some senior party leaders yesterday and sources claimed Tjijenda was given an ultimatum: resign or be expelled from the party.

When contacted by The Namibian, Tjijenda claimed that he was not aware of the disciplinary hearing.

Riruako refused to comment.

The latest turn of events started to unfold following the release of a statement by a certain Sadrag Mberirua at Okahandja, who claimed that he was given the ballot papers by a Roads Contractor Company employee and took them to the Nudo offices, where he encountered Tjijenda.

Tjijenda allegedly handed him matches and told him to return to the scene where the ballots were found and burn them.

According to Mberirua, who changed his statement to the Police three times, it would strengthen the case of opposition parties, which at the time were building a case to challenge the November national election results.

Tjijenda claimed in an Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) affidavit that this was an "instruction" from Congress of Democrats (CoD) Vice President Nora Schimming-Chase.

The CoD leader said she could not, in all seriousness, react "to these contradictions".

Tjijenda is also alleged to have changed his statement.

Nudo sources indicated to The Namibian yesterday that Tjijenda's involvement in the burning of ballot papers had created uneasiness in negotiations on a 'government of national unity' with Swapo.

"Swapo people are asking why Nudo is quiet on all the newspaper reports. They want to know how a leader of one party can [allegedly] receive instructions from another," said a Nudo source.

The source said Swapo itself was divided on the talks with Nudo.

"One group is using the Tjijenda thing to say that all along Nudo was not sincere. It is quite an embarrassment," the Nudo member said.

Riruako refused to provide any details on the talks with Swapo.

"That is not something I can discuss with you. Wait for a week or two. We are still waiting to hear from Swapo," he said.

Unhappy Nudo supporters approached The Namibian to express their concern on the proposed government of national unity.

They claimed that in fact Tjijenda had changed his earlier statements and was now singing a different tune on the ballot papers - by blaming other opposition parties - because Nudo had been offered some senior Government positions.

Other observers have pointed to Nudo's seeming interest in being part of the election court challenge shortly after the results were announced, but then dropping the matter like a hot potato barely 48 hours later.

Riruako dismissed the concerns and told members to approach their offices and not newspapers, although sources said they overhead him responding to concerned supporters on his cell phone.

Tjijenda said neither he nor the Nudo office were aware of tonight's disciplinary hearing.

"Which meeting? Who decided on the meeting? As far as I know and as far as the (Nudo) office knows, there is nothing like that," he said.

Both Riruako and Swapo Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange confirmed earlier that Nudo had written to the ruling party to propose a 'government of national unity'.

Nudo has three seats in the National Assembly as opposed to Swapo's 55.

Local News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  Fatal kicking case to Regional Court
•  MVA sues paralysed accident victim
•  Koevoet bases to be renovated
•  Campsites bring hope to Puros
•  'Koos Kombuis' in Walvis cell
•  Ulenga leaves Parliament to prepare CoD for elections
•  Chief /Gaseb does not acknowledge appointment by King Justus //Garoeb
•  German museum to return skulls
•  Big Brother Africa 3: E-mails - From You To Us
•  Big Brother Africa 3: Is Malawi going to clean up?
•  Court cracks down on 'struggle children'
•  Nearly a third of Namibians poor
•  Pupils suspended over porn DVD
•  NA approves US grant
•  Russian couple murder sent to High Court
•  Rain prospects for the northeast good
•  Housing Minister meets shack dwellers
•  Flood of applause for flood support
•  New deputy chair for chiefs' council
•  Special week for Special Olympians
•  Misa Namibia Media Awards 2008
•  Bret goes bust
•  Fruit fly causes loss of millions in exports
•  Knives out for Pohamba