THE Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) says it will start issuing directives to its representatives at various regional councils and local authorities to guide them on how and when to participate in debates and discussions during the various council meetings.
In a communique issued on Saturday to all IPC councillors, party leader Panduleni Itula said the directives to be issued to councillors are meant to ensure that the party achieves its political goals.
IPC spokesperson, Immanuel Nashinge confirmed the communique to The Namibian yesterday.
The IPC won four constituencies in the regional council elections last year and it is represented by 66 councillors at various local authorities.
In the directive, Itula said the party wants its representatives to conduct themselves in an honest, accountable and transparent manner and also conduct themselves with integrity during debates and discussions at their respective regional councils and local authorities.
He said the party will monitor the councillors’ performance and contributions in debates in order to ensure that they remain relevant to being representative of the aims and objectives of IPC in the delivery of quality services to the people.
“From time to time, the party shall issue directives to councillors specific to your conduct and contributions in chambers so as to achieve our political goals,” Itula said.
Such directives, he added, may require IPC councillors to refrain from and/or restrain them from participating in certain activities of council “or direct you to contribute to a debate in a specific manner”.
Before IPC councillors participate in any debate or discussion in chambers, Itula said, they will need to conduct a caucus in line with guidelines provided by the party’s national general secretary to “ensure there is uniformity of approach to any given topic”.
Failure to comply with the party’s directives, Itula said, councillors could be withdrawn from their respective councils and replaced in accordance with the law.
“Defiance or rebellion against a directive shall not under any circumstances be tolerated,” he said.
Itula added that the party also wants its councillors in all the four regional councils and local authorities to come up with a development strategy “for their local authority in line with its strategic plan, where such is in existence and even in the absence thereof”.
“There must be cooperation and unity among our councillors and any deviation therefrom may, upon assessment, be subject to appropriate sanction. We expect all councillors to be familiar with all legal instruments and in particular, the Standard Rules and the Code of Conduct and apply strictly such provisions,” Itula said.
