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Govt may rethink opposition to Nepad peer review mechanism

Govt may rethink opposition to Nepad peer review mechanism

NAMIBIA might reconsider its opposition to the peer review mechanism (PRM) of the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad), a senior Government official has suggested.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Kaire Mbuende said yesterday that Namibia was still unhappy with Othe way the PRM came aboutO but that Government was prepared to review its position now that the system has “become a reality”. “[A] number of countries have already signed on to the peer review mechanism, we will have to review it in light of this development,” Mbuende told The Namibian.The Deputy Minister’s comments suggested a major softening of Government’s hard-line stance against the system that would allow countries to name and shame states on the continent that fail to live up to a set of agreed principles on good governance.In April, Prime Minister Theo Ben Gurirab said the country supported Nepad as a whole, but would “consign (the PRM) to the dustbin of history as a sham”.Three months later, Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya said that Namibia had not signed on to the PRM because it was not clear how it would work and who would call the shots.Yesterday, Mbuende asserted that the PRM was not part of the “original Nepad”, which was primarily aimed at economic recovery, “but was a conditionality imposed by the then development partners of the OAU”.Apart from the fact that the African Union had adequate mechanisms to address the question of good governance, Mbuende stated that Namibia was accountable to its Constitution and electorates on issues of governance.”We don’t actually need external auditors, we have our own auditors… our Constitution and electorates.We don’t have a problem with good governance,” he declared.The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) yesterday lamented that Namibia’s continued reluctance to embrace the PRM dealt a “further lethal blow to its phony image” that it was a model for democracy and respect for human rights.”If the indicators such as love for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on the part of our political leaders were taken as a pointer, then one can understand the rationale behind Namibia’s not being among the ratifying States (of the PRM)… as the saying goes, show me your friends and I tell you who you are,” NSHR Executive Director Phil ya Nangolo charged.On February 13 and 14, nine African heads of state and government met in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, and adopted a code of conduct containing rules and procedures on the implementation of the PRM.Namibia was not represented in any capacity.The 16 African countries that have acceded to the PRM are: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.”[A] number of countries have already signed on to the peer review mechanism, we will have to review it in light of this development,” Mbuende told The Namibian.The Deputy Minister’s comments suggested a major softening of Government’s hard-line stance against the system that would allow countries to name and shame states on the continent that fail to live up to a set of agreed principles on good governance.In April, Prime Minister Theo Ben Gurirab said the country supported Nepad as a whole, but would “consign (the PRM) to the dustbin of history as a sham”.Three months later, Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya said that Namibia had not signed on to the PRM because it was not clear how it would work and who would call the shots.Yesterday, Mbuende asserted that the PRM was not part of the “original Nepad”, which was primarily aimed at economic recovery, “but was a conditionality imposed by the then development partners of the OAU”.Apart from the fact that the African Union had adequate mechanisms to address the question of good governance, Mbuende stated that Namibia was accountable to its Constitution and electorates on issues of governance.”We don’t actually need external auditors, we have our own auditors… our Constitution and electorates.We don’t have a problem with good governance,” he declared.The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) yesterday lamented that Namibia’s continued reluctance to embrace the PRM dealt a “further lethal blow to its phony image” that it was a model for democracy and respect for human rights.”If the indicators such as love for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on the part of our political leaders were taken as a pointer, then one can understand the rationale behind Namibia’s not being among the ratifying States (of the PRM)… as the saying goes, show me your friends and I tell you who you are,” NSHR Executive Director Phil ya Nangolo charged.On February 13 and 14, nine African heads of state and government met in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, and adopted a code of conduct containing rules and procedures on the implementation of the PRM.Namibia was not represented in any capacity.The 16 African countries that have acceded to the PRM are: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.

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