CoD deadline passes

AN ultimatum by a rebel faction of the Congress of Democrats for an investigation into the party’s controversial leadership elections appears set to pass unanswered.

“The ultimatum ends on Wednesday (today).We are still waiting for the reaction of the leadership,” Kala Gertze, former secretary general of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) said yesterday. About half of the approximately 300 registered delegates walked out of the party’s congress at Keetmanshoop earlier this month.A large group led by Ignatius Shixwameni left the hall after the results of the controversial presidential election were announced.Shixwameni lost by 14 votes to Ben Ulenga, who has been party president since 1999, in a hotly disputed election.Following the walkout, those who remained elected new office bearers.The Shixwameni group claimed the remaining party members had no quorum, thus the elections for the other posts were null and void.However, the Ulenga faction claims that the majority of delegates stayed in the hall.Shixwameni and his group further alleged that ordinary party members were suddenly elevated to delegates with voting rights.In response, Ulenga vowed he would agree to an independent and neutral team doing a forensic audit on the disputed elections.If it found the elections were flawed, he would resign.Ulenga yesterday declined to say whether an audit team had been set up.”I disclose nothing to the media at this stage,” Ulenga told The Namibian.”We will make a statement when the time is ripe.”About half of the approximately 300 registered delegates walked out of the party’s congress at Keetmanshoop earlier this month.A large group led by Ignatius Shixwameni left the hall after the results of the controversial presidential election were announced.Shixwameni lost by 14 votes to Ben Ulenga, who has been party president since 1999, in a hotly disputed election.Following the walkout, those who remained elected new office bearers.The Shixwameni group claimed the remaining party members had no quorum, thus the elections for the other posts were null and void.However, the Ulenga faction claims that the majority of delegates stayed in the hall.Shixwameni and his group further alleged that ordinary party members were suddenly elevated to delegates with voting rights.In response, Ulenga vowed he would agree to an independent and neutral team doing a forensic audit on the disputed elections.If it found the elections were flawed, he would resign.Ulenga yesterday declined to say whether an audit team had been set up.”I disclose nothing to the media at this stage,” Ulenga told The Namibian.”We will make a statement when the time is ripe.”