Europe to debate Hakaye’s motion on curtailing freedoms

THE European Parliament is set to discuss a motion tabled in Namibia’s National Council recently to regulate the activities of certain media houses and the National Society for Human Rights.

Two members called on the European Parliament to pronounce itself on the motion tabled by Swapo Chief Whip Jhonny Hakaye recently, which seeks to examine and review the status of the NSHR after it came to light that the organisation had requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate former President Sam Nujoma and three former military leaders. Hakaye also lashed out at media houses, especially The Namibian and Windhoek Observer, which he said gave critics of Government such as the NSHR’s Director Phil ya Nangoloh a platform.Hakaye and Swapo’s action has provoked heavy criticism from some members of the European Parliament.Marco Cappato of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe confirmed to The Namibian that they have asked the European Parliament whether it was aware of the motion and threats against the NSHR and whether it had already requested clarification from the Namibian Government.Cappato and Marco Pannella (also from the same group) informed the European Parliament that the motion had damaged Namibia’s credibility in the light of the country’s obligations to fulfil the terms set out in Article 9 of the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Commission (ACP-EC) Cotonou agreement.The article deals with respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law, and Namibia is a signatory to it.The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe want the European Parliament to urge Namibia to immediately stop the “threats and intimidation and to ensure the earliest possible restoration of respect for human rights and the rule of law in Namibia”.Cappato said the European Parliament had 60 days to debate the issue.He is an Italian national and member of the European Parliament since 1999.In 2002 he was arrested and imprisoned in Manchester, England, for civil disobedience in protest against prohibitionist drug laws.It was not clear how the European Parliament move would be received in Namibia.When he motivated the motion last month, Hakaye said the National Council (NC) “will never be prescribed to” when it comes to issues of human rights.He also condemned a call by the Namibian Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) to withdraw the motion to regulate the media and said “more shocks” were coming in the future.Hakaye also lashed out at media houses, especially The Namibian and Windhoek Observer, which he said gave critics of Government such as the NSHR’s Director Phil ya Nangoloh a platform. Hakaye and Swapo’s action has provoked heavy criticism from some members of the European Parliament.Marco Cappato of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe confirmed to The Namibian that they have asked the European Parliament whether it was aware of the motion and threats against the NSHR and whether it had already requested clarification from the Namibian Government.Cappato and Marco Pannella (also from the same group) informed the European Parliament that the motion had damaged Namibia’s credibility in the light of the country’s obligations to fulfil the terms set out in Article 9 of the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Commission (ACP-EC) Cotonou agreement.The article deals with respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law, and Namibia is a signatory to it.The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe want the European Parliament to urge Namibia to immediately stop the “threats and intimidation and to ensure the earliest possible restoration of respect for human rights and the rule of law in Namibia”.Cappato said the European Parliament had 60 days to debate the issue.He is an Italian national and member of the European Parliament since 1999.In 2002 he was arrested and imprisoned in Manchester, England, for civil disobedience in protest against prohibitionist drug laws.It was not clear how the European Parliament move would be received in Namibia.When he motivated the motion last month, Hakaye said the National Council (NC) “will never be prescribed to” when it comes to issues of human rights.He also condemned a call by the Namibian Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) to withdraw the motion to regulate the media and said “more shocks” were coming in the future.