Gazette sets scene for by-election contests

AN official milestone in the countdown to five Regional Council by-elections and Namibia’s third post-Independence local authorities elections, all of which are set to take place today, was passed on Wednesday when the names of candidates in the by-elections and the locations of local authority polling stations were published in the Government Gazette.

With the Local Authority elections that are set to take place at 44 towns throughout Namibia already in the home stretch, with polling places scheduled to open for business early today, the names of candidates and parties taking part in those polls had still not been published in the Government Gazette by yesterday. Staff at the Government Gazette were still working on the edition of the Gazette in which the Local Authority candidate lists and their party or local residents association affiliations are supposed to be published.In the Gazette, dated May 7 but printed only this week and available only on Wednesday, Electoral Commission Chairman Victor Tonchi announced in official Government Notices that by-elections to elect Regional Councillors in five constituencies in eastern parts of Namibia would take place today, with polling stations set to be open from 07h00 to 21h00.Polling stations in 44 towns where new Local Authority Councils will be elected will also be open from 07h00 to 21h00 today, Tonchi announced in another Government Notice.The Regional Council by-elections are taking place after five serving Regional Councillors who had been elected to their posts as DTA members resigned from the party in January to join recent DTA breakaway member party Nudo.In all of the by-elections, Nudo candidates will be pitted against candidates from the DTA and Swapo, with the Congress of Democrats also fielding candidates in two constituencies and the Republican Party joining the fray in one constituency.The by-elections are set to present a test for both Nudo and the DTA especially in a part of Namibia that had previously been a heartland of support for the DTA.The by-election results are expected to give an indication on whether Nudo has been able to draw support away from DTA, and to what extent, or whether the DTA has managed to halt its steady decline in electoral support in these previously opposition-inclined areas at least.In two of the constituencies where by-elections are set to take place – Tsumkwe in the Otjozondjupa Region and Otjinene in the Omaheke Region – Swapo’s fortunes could be boosted by the fact that the opposition vote is set to be split between more than one opposition party candidate.In the last Regional Council elections in those constituencies, in late 1998, DTA candidates won the polls at both Tsumkwe and Otjinene over Swapo candidates despite receiving less than 50 per cent of the votes that were cast.With a first-past-the-post electoral system applying in Regional Council elections in Namibia, Swapo candidates in those constituencies where the opposition DTA vote had scored only marginal victories in 1998 could expect to be favoured by the fact that more opposition parties are fielding candidates in the by-elections.In some of the other constituencies where by-elections are set to take place, the DTA’s candidates scored resounding victories in 1998 – scoring 78 per cent of the votes at Okakarara and 75 per cent at Aminuis, for example.The by-elections should show whether the DTA has managed to hold on to this previously solid source of support.The Gazetted candidates for the by-elections are: * Aminuis constituency (Omaheke Region) – Erwin Gebhard Uanguta (Nudo), Gerson Mbatemua (DTA), and Kejamuina Uhungira Mungendje (Swapo); * Otjinene constituency (Omaheke Region) – Esegiël Toromba (Nudo), Ratadavara Zuvee Tjiriange (DTA), Elvis Kauesa (CoD), Efraim Naftali Hiruku Keja (Swapo); * Okakarara constituency (Otjozondjupa Region) – Asser Mbai (Nudo), Alphons Vaja Zatjirua (DTA), Rahimisa Wa-Kahimise (Swapo); * Omatako constituency (Otjozondjupa Region) – Gottlied Kazombiaze (Nudo), Usiël Mumbango (DTA), Edna Kurz (Republican Party), Issaskar Kaunakao Kaujeua (Swapo); and * Tsumkwe constituency (Otjozondjupa Region) – Courtney Raymond Agnew (Nudo), Samuel Rihihamisa Maharero (DTA), Hacky Gcao (CoD), Moses Kgao Coma (Swapo).Asser Mbai, Nudo candidate in the Okakarara constituency, is the only one of the former DTA Regional Councillors to stand as a candidate in the by-elections.His former DTA colleagues – and now fellow Nudo members – Mburumba Kerina of the Aminuis constituency, Billy Katjatenja from Otjinene, Theofelus Uahongora from Omatako constituency and Jonathan Katjimune (Tsumkwe), are set to stand as Nudo candidates for the National Assembly in the national elections scheduled to take place towards the end of this year, Nudo Secretary General Joseph Kauandenge indicated on enquiry on Wednesday.Staff at the Government Gazette were still working on the edition of the Gazette in which the Local Authority candidate lists and their party or local residents association affiliations are supposed to be published.In the Gazette, dated May 7 but printed only this week and available only on Wednesday, Electoral Commission Chairman Victor Tonchi announced in official Government Notices that by-elections to elect Regional Councillors in five constituencies in eastern parts of Namibia would take place today, with polling stations set to be open from 07h00 to 21h00.Polling stations in 44 towns where new Local Authority Councils will be elected will also be open from 07h00 to 21h00 today, Tonchi announced in another Government Notice.The Regional Council by-elections are taking place after five serving Regional Councillors who had been elected to their posts as DTA members resigned from the party in January to join recent DTA breakaway member party Nudo.In all of the by-elections, Nudo candidates will be pitted against candidates from the DTA and Swapo, with the Congress of Democrats also fielding candidates in two constituencies and the Republican Party joining the fray in one constituency.The by-elections are set to present a test for both Nudo and the DTA especially in a part of Namibia that had previously been a heartland of support for the DTA.The by-election results are expected to give an indication on whether Nudo has been able to draw support away from DTA, and to what extent, or whether the DTA has managed to halt its steady decline in electoral support in these previously opposition-inclined areas at least.In two of the constituencies where by-elections are set to take place – Tsumkwe in the Otjozondjupa Region and Otjinene in the Omaheke Region – Swapo’s fortunes could be boosted by the fact that the opposition vote is set to be split between more than one opposition party candidate.In the last Regional Council elections in those constituencies, in late 1998, DTA candidates won the polls at both Tsumkwe and Otjinene over Swapo candidates despite receiving less than 50 per cent of the votes that were cast.With a first-past-the-post electoral system applying in Regional Council elections in Namibia, Swapo candidates in those constituencies where the opposition DTA vote had scored only marginal victories in 1998 could expect to be favoured by the fact that more opposition parties are fielding candidates in the by-elections.In some of the other constituencies where by-elections are set to take place, the DTA’s candidates scored resounding victories in 1998 – scoring 78 per cent of the votes at Okakarara and 75 per cent at Aminuis, for example.The by-elections should show whether the DTA has managed to hold on to this previously solid source of support.The Gazetted candidates for the by-elections are: * Aminuis constituency (Omaheke Region) – Erwin Gebhard Uanguta (Nudo), Gerson Mbatemua (DTA), and Kejamuina Uhungira Mungendje (Swapo); * Otjinene constituency (Omaheke Region) – Esegiël Toromba (Nudo), Ratadavara Zuvee Tjiriange (DTA), Elvis Kauesa (CoD), Efraim Naftali Hiruku Keja (Swapo); * Okakarara constituency (Otjozondjupa Region) – Asser Mbai (Nudo), Alphons Vaja Zatjirua (DTA), Rahimisa Wa-Kahimise (Swapo); * Omatako constituency (Otjozondjupa Region) – Gottlied Kazombiaze (Nudo), Usiël Mumbango (DTA), Edna Kurz (Republican Party), Issaskar Kaunakao Kaujeua (Swapo); and * Tsumkwe constituency (Otjozondjupa Region) – Courtney Raymond Agnew (Nudo), Samuel Rihihamisa Maharero (DTA), Hacky Gcao (CoD), Moses Kgao Coma (Swapo).Asser Mbai, Nudo candidate in the Okakarara constituency, is the only one of the former DTA Regional Councillors to stand as a candidate in the by-elections.His former DTA colleagues – and now fellow Nudo members – Mburumba Kerina of the Aminuis constituency, Billy Katjatenja from Otjinene, Theofelus Uahongora from Omatako constituency and Jonathan Katjimune (Tsumkwe), are set to stand as Nudo candidates for the National Assembly in the national elections scheduled to take place towards the end of this year, Nudo Secretary General Joseph Kauandenge indicated on enquiry on Wednesday.