No shocks at Swapo election

THE Swapo electoral college held at the weekend to elect its list of parliamentary election candidates produced few surprises. Rather it appears to be a continuation of the status quo.

Despite its campaign to inject new blood into the Swapo leadership, the Swapo Party Youth League only managed to open the doors to parliament for former MP and Deputy Minister, Paulus Kapia and Piet van der Walt, two of their candidates for the electoral college.In contrast, the overwhelming number of current parliamentarians, who were all eligible for nomination for the 59 candidates, secured their return to parliament.The only new names voted for – Kapia, David Namwandi and Van der Walt – feature at numbers 25, 43 and 44 respectively.For his part, President Hifikepunye Pohamba’s list of 10 contains eight new names, along with two serving ministers.The parliamentary delegates were the single biggest voting block at the electoral college.The only notable losers among the current crop of ministers were Helmut Angula, Willem Konjore and Marlene Mungunda.Overall, there was no clear winner. What emerged was a blend of both old, young and new faces.’It is definitely a fine line,’ said one of those who observed the proceedings as a delegate, but who did not compete to become one of the party’s next crop of parliamentary leaders.’Continuity is good but only if people deliver. The question you should ask is whether many of those who have been re-elected have delivered over the past five years. Unfortunately we got bogged down in personality issues,’ the person said.Few of the new faces made it to the top of the list. In fact not many will get to the National Assembly with Kapia at (21) – who is not really new to Parliament – being the highest scorer among the newcomers followed by the David Namwandi, at 43 the founder of the University of International Management, and Piet van der Walt, who came in on a ticket sponsored by the Swapo Party Youth League.’Why change a winning formula? The fact that many of the previous MPs returned means people are happy with their work,’ one delegate said.Ahead of the electoral college, the battle lines were clearly drawn between the ‘old guard’ and the SPYL, while a smaller group decided to sit on the fence. Their allegiance with neither of the two groups was clear.According to SPYL secretary Elijah Ngurare: ‘We are happy. It is a perfect outcome.’ They have Kapia and van der Walt, who came in at number (44) , while President Hifikepunye Pohamba has appointed Lucia Witbooi and former Ambassador and now State House employee, Monica Nashandi, whom the SPYL suggested for his list.However, according to some, youth representation is not what those who supported SPYL expected.’Old guards’ or the present National Assembly members dominated the top 25, showing they are still a force to reckon with despite two of those targeted – Helmut Angula and Willem Konjore – are not set to return to parliament.Other long-serving members who made it lower on the list are Deputy Home Affairs Minister,Teopolina Mushelenga, who came in at 59 on the list, Marlene Mungunda (63) and Victor Simunja (65). Paul Smith, who came in at number 69, and Becky Ndjoze-Ojo, who features at 61, were on the President’s list of six last time and were brought in for their expertise and could still return on the same ticket in March next year.SAARA Hours before the electoral college was scheduled to start on Friday morning speculation swirled that Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, had informed the party that she would not be available for election, was met with shock.However, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila confirmed to The Namibian yesterday that she never planned to step down.The Minister said she had indicated she would not stand for election at the electoral college, as she had been approached by the President to form part of his list of 10 names.She said her appearing on the list of 72 was ‘no change of mind’.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said that as a result she had to indicate that she was not up for election because the President had approached and asked if she would accept to be on his list of 10, which she accepted. ‘I have never led anyone to believe that I am standing down,’ said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila. When asked about the fact that she was popular and had scored high in previous elections she said, its not about popularity and that the President has shown faith and confidence in her and she is willing to serve the nation. There were those in the youth wing ranks who apparently saw Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s move as an alleged ‘betrayal’. They say they supported and campaigned for her just for her to say she was not standing and would be on Pohamba’s list. However, others point out that the President only approached people about being on his list late last week.Unconfirmed speculation also has it that the Omusati group allegedly engineered to get Kuugongelwa-Amadhila onto the President’s list to limit his choices of the 10.Others on the Presidential list are Defence Minister Charles Namoloh, NUNW President Alpheus Muheua, Monica Nashandi, Billy Mwaningange, Lucia Witbooi, Auguste Xoagus, Uahekua Herunga, Willem Isaack and Sylvia Makgone. President Pohamba had his list compiled already before the Electoral College started and everyone on the list was consulted by Friday afternoon.Other Swapo wings and the unions performed poorly and failed to inject new blood into the top, with only the youth wing candidates able to get candidates on the list. None of the 10 nominees from the Women’s Council made it, nor did any of the five from the Elders Council and the unions. Elifas Dingara (48 on the list) did not go to the college on the union ticket, but as a Swapo central committee member.