Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda has tabled a paper examining presidential impeachment and the dissolution of the National Assembly under the Namibian Constitution.
The paper, titled ‘Presidential Impeachment and National Assembly Dissolution Under the Namibian Constitution: Who Will Blink First?’, examines what Amupanda describes as weaknesses in Articles 15 and 29 of the Constitution.
During its tabling on Tuesday, Amupanda argued that the reciprocal powers of impeachment and dissolution create a constitutional paradox, where both the president and National Assembly have powers capable of neutralising the other.
“Both the president and National Assembly are armed with the power that could neutralise the other, but neither could exercise it without risking catastrophic self-harm,” he said.
Amupanda said the situation is further complicated by the absence of an enabling procedure for impeachment, despite the Constitution being in place for 36 years.
He argued that this creates an opportunity for constitutional reconsideration, including the enactment of a clear procedural framework for impeachment.
Amupanda called on the National Assembly to discuss and debate the paper before referring it to the relevant standing committee.
Speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila allowed the paper to be tabled but deferred her ruling.
