Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) parliamentarian John-Louw Mouton has defended the party’s decision to walk out of the National Assembly.
He says the move is aimed at blocking decisions the party strongly disagrees with rather than disrupting the functioning of the National Assembly.
Mouton responded to claims in a statement on Monday, accusing the opposition of halting parliamentary duties.
He says the opposition’s increased representation following the last election has given it the ability to deny the National Assembly the 49-member quorum required for voting.
“In the past, if the opposition walked out, it was a sign of disagreement. But now, if the opposition walks out and we don’t have that 49-member quorum within the assembly, the vote can’t go through,” he says.
He says the latest walkout was specifically linked to the proposed appointment of Gerson Sindano as chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).
Mouton questions the appointment, arguing that Sindano’s reported links to Swapo undermine the independence and impartiality expected of the electoral body.
“We cannot have someone that was the personal assistant to the secretary general of Swapo be appointed as ECN chairperson,” he says.
Mouton says the ECN must facilitate elections impartially, adding that parliament should not simply approve appointments without opposition support.
“It’s not to stop parliament from working. It’s to say that we do not agree with this appointment,” he says.
