Jerry, Utoni, !Naruseb top at electoral college

NO POLITICAL party is as ‘transparent and democratic’ as the ruling Swapo party, Secretary General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana said yesterday, when announcing the list of 72 parliamentary candidates elected over the weekend.

While a sizeable number of old cadres appear at the top of the list virtually sure of a return to parliament, long-serving Youth and Culture Minister Willem Konjore and Works and Transport Minister Helmut Angula, are at the tailend of the 72-name list. The two have dropped ranks to number 67 and 70 respectively. One big surprise was that Lands Minister Alpheus !Naruseb, who was ranked No 20 previously, shot up to No 3 on the electoral college popularity list, behind Local and Regional Government Minister Jerry Ekandjo (1) and former president Sam Nujoma’s son Utoni Nujoma, who came second. The ranks of these three leaders changed to ranks 4, 5 and 6 as the names of Swapo Vice President Hage Geingob, Iivula-Ithana, who is Swapo Secretary General and Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba (Deputy Secretary General) were put on top of the list as automatic choices by virtue of their positions in the party.According to Iivula-Ithana, ‘Swapo is a democratic and mature party with an expressed agenda to advance the interest of all Namibians. It is therefore not surprising when the whole Namibia comes to a standstill whenever there is mention of a major Swapo event such as the electoral college.’She said 211 delegates attended the internal election process at a Windhoek hotel, but only 205 cast their votes and that there was one spoilt ballot. ‘For those who are not on the list, I want to repeat the words of President Pohamba on Saturday night at the party’s dinner, when the election results were announced: ‘Swapo went through a democratic process and those who did not make it should not feel left out or neglected’,’ Iivula-Ithana said. She then urged members to conduct a peaceful election campaign. ‘We must not give our detractors and provocateurs ammunition to turn the election campaign into a battleground.’ Swapo members had packed the hall at the party headquarters yesterday morning and had danced and toyi-toyed as the press conference was delayed by a full hour. The lucky ones who made it to the list, congratulated each other, while those who lost like Gender Equality and Child Welfare Minister Marlene Mungunda and Deputy Minister Victor Simunja, put on a brave face.Swapo currently has 55 seats in the National Assembly.A comeback attempt by former Information Minister, Ben Amathila, who is ranked at 54 on the list, is slim depending on how many seats Swapo wins during the November election. The ambitions of current Minister of Environment and Tourism Minister, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, ranked at 55th, to return to parliament also appear slim.