CoD takes issue with party ‘malcontents’

A FEW members of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) have allegedly gone on a “malicious misinformation” campaign, telling others that the extraordinary congress slated for May 4 and 5 had been postponed.

This was revealed on Friday by CoD Secretary General Reinhard Kala Gertze. It is an open secret that a section of the party most notably Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati supporters do not agree with a National Executive Committee (NEC) decision that the extraordinary congress be held at Keetmanshoop.The same people are also not in agreement with an NEC decision that the number of delegates be determined according to the results of the national elections of 2004.Gertze said there was no way in which party members could disregard the NEC decision.”This is one main reason why the CoD is going to review itself at the coming congress,” he said.He said failure to carry out a NEC decision would spell yet another failure of the party leadership.Earlier, party co-ordinators in the four northern regions threatened to go to court if the extraordinary congress was not called off.Vaino Amuthenu (Oshikoto), Epafras Mukwilongo (Omusati), Boas Mwapopi (Ohangwena) and Abraham Ndumbu (Oshana) claimed that the party leaders bulldozed the decision through to ensure that they get voted into office.The four are believed to be supporters of CoD leader Ben Ulenga and are pushing that the extraordinary congress be held in the North.They also believe that a postponement until around September would be in their candidate’s favour.The extraordinary congress will be attended by around 360 delegates about half of them attending according to votes received during the 2004 national elections.”Our party has 15 regional representations and each region can send a minimum of 9 delegates, altogether 135,” Ignatius Shixwameni said on Friday.”The leadership will be 81 CoD delegates, including the Young Democrats and the CoD’s women wing, since the National Executive Committee (NEC) already consists of 52 members.”The remaining 145 delegates will be from the 15 party regions, but according to a proportional formula depending on the amount of votes gained during 2004.It is an open secret that a section of the party most notably Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Oshana and Omusati supporters do not agree with a National Executive Committee (NEC) decision that the extraordinary congress be held at Keetmanshoop.The same people are also not in agreement with an NEC decision that the number of delegates be determined according to the results of the national elections of 2004.Gertze said there was no way in which party members could disregard the NEC decision.”This is one main reason why the CoD is going to review itself at the coming congress,” he said.He said failure to carry out a NEC decision would spell yet another failure of the party leadership.Earlier, party co-ordinators in the four northern regions threatened to go to court if the extraordinary congress was not called off.Vaino Amuthenu (Oshikoto), Epafras Mukwilongo (Omusati), Boas Mwapopi (Ohangwena) and Abraham Ndumbu (Oshana) claimed that the party leaders bulldozed the decision through to ensure that they get voted into office.The four are believed to be supporters of CoD leader Ben Ulenga and are pushing that the extraordinary congress be held in the North.They also believe that a postponement until around September would be in their candidate’s favour.The extraordinary congress will be attended by around 360 delegates about half of them attending according to votes received during the 2004 national elections.”Our party has 15 regional representations and each region can send a minimum of 9 delegates, altogether 135,” Ignatius Shixwameni said on Friday.”The leadership will be 81 CoD delegates, including the Young Democrats and the CoD’s women wing, since the National Executive Committee (NEC) already consists of 52 members.”The remaining 145 delegates will be from the 15 party regions, but according to a proportional formula depending on the amount of votes gained during 2004.