Lukato wants governor posts rotated among parties

THE leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Martin Lukato, says under his party’s federal system, regional governors will only serve two-and-a-half years before being rotated.

This is so that other political parties are also afforded the chance to serve in this position, he says.

Lukato also wants the positions of the chairperson of the National Council and speaker of the National Assembly and their deputies to be rotated.

He was speaking at the launch of the NDP’s proposed federal system of government at Rundu last week.

According to this system, independent boards will appoint judicial officials like judges, regional magistrates, district magistrates, the prosecutor general, government attorneys, electoral commissioners, the ombudsman and the Anti-Corruption Commission’s director general with his or her deputies.

Lukato said those who occupy these posts should be free from any form of political influence or involvement.

He said in the NDP federal government, people appointed in positions such as the inspector general of the police, the commissioner general of the Namibia Correctional Service, and the chief of the Namibian Defence Force would serve for five to 10 years and would later be transferred to other government departments to accommodate all ethnic groups in Namibia, considering merit and academic qualifications.

Both the uniform unit commander, station commander, regional commander and chief regional officer would serve at least five to 10 years at the same stations or region to avoid the creation of “village farms” in government institutions, Lukato said.

In his government, all heads of ministries and state-owned enterprises would serve for a period of five to 10 years and would later be transferred to other regions.

This would also include the appointment of an independent board that would appoint the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the Law Reform and Development Commission based on merits and qualifications, he said.

A federal government is a system in which the different states or provinces of a country are authorised to make their own laws and decisions.

Power is divided between the central government and local state governments.

“Let me inform the Namibian nation that the federal system of government is one of the best governing systems in the world, that’s why since the formation of the NDP in its constitution and the NDP manifesto, we have adapted the federal system to accommodate all citizens equally,” Lukato said in a statement posted on his Facebook account.

He said his party is concerned over the state of the country 32 years after independence.

Despite the country being rich in natural resources, Namibians have become poorer with a high rate of crime, unemployment, poverty, corruption and high inflation, he said.

Lukato said in a federal state the government should be one of national unity.

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