2009 will not be easy: RDP

THE campaigning for national and presidential elections at the end of this year will ‘not be easy in the current climate of political intolerance’ for opposition parties, Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) president Hidipo Hamutenya said in a New Year’s message.

Founded in November 2007, the new political party had achieved a great deal in 2008, Hamutenya said, citing the establishment of branch structures in all 13 political regions and holding rallies in most of them last year.
‘RDP saw the swelling of its ranks as thousands of Namibians across the country joined our party – a clear indication to us that Namibians want change and a better future,’ according to the RDP president.
‘Unfortunately 2008 brought about distressing developments in Namibian politics: political intolerance, which was characterised by unruly mobs of the ruling Swapo Party disrupting – sometimes violently – RDP rallies and meetings; Swapo declaring so-called ‘no-go areas’ and several of our members injured through this mob violence and their vehicles maliciously damaged.’
This had led to excellent co-operation among opposition parties in 2008, Hamutenya noted in his message, hinting at the regional by-election at the Tobias Hainyeko constituency in Katutura last October.
Opposition parties were so frustrated with what they criticised as bad preparations for the by-election by the Electoral Commission that they distributed thousands of pamphlets among voters, requesting them to boycott the by-election. The result was that only 22 per cent of the voters cast their ballots compared to over 40 per cent in the previous election.
‘This coming together of all opposition parties ensured that we consolidated our positions and worked out common strategies. We hope this co-operation will continue in 2009,’ Hamutenya said.
The RDP held its first congress last month and adopted its party programme and election manifesto.
‘These key party documents will be launched soon’, Hamutenya said.