Nujoma’s exit raises opponents’ poll hopes

WITH President Sam Nujoma not in the running, opposition parties appear to fancy that they stand a better chance in the November elections.

Monitor Action Group (MAG) leader, Kosie Pretorius, yesterday joked that the next presidential election would be a “two-cart race” between himself and Swapo’s candidate Hifikepunye Pohamba because they were the same age. On a more sober note, however, Pretorius said MAG stood no chance of beating Pohamba at the polls.Secretary General of the DTA, McHenry Venaani, said:”We are better off than ever.We think it is good for us [and] we are confident now that we are going to make the race …”Chief Justus Garoeb of the United Democratic Front (UDF) said his party still had to decide whether it would take part, and would pick its “best candidate”.Congress of Democrats President Ben Ulenga remarked that the coming national elections would be “interesting”.The DTA, MAG and UDF described the Swapo extraordinary congress as a progressive step in the democratisation of the ruling party.Ulenga said he was surprised by the media’s treatment of Swapo’s presidential succession race – an internal party matter – that depicted as a “forgone conclusion” that Pohamba would be State President.His observation was that the ruling party “was brought face to face with its inner-self by the turn of events”.”The President started to waver but it seemed the people around [him] were determined to march on,” said Ulenga.Venaani wished Pohamba “success” adding that the Congress “proved that Swapo is still in the heyday of the Nujoma kingdom, a Nujoma fiefdom”.UDF’s Garoeb said Swapo had set an example for opposition parties to follow.Ulenga, whose party’s last congress was open to the public throughout, said the CoD would decide on its presidential candidate for the November elections next month.On a more sober note, however, Pretorius said MAG stood no chance of beating Pohamba at the polls.Secretary General of the DTA, McHenry Venaani, said:”We are better off than ever.We think it is good for us [and] we are confident now that we are going to make the race …”Chief Justus Garoeb of the United Democratic Front (UDF) said his party still had to decide whether it would take part, and would pick its “best candidate”.Congress of Democrats President Ben Ulenga remarked that the coming national elections would be “interesting”.The DTA, MAG and UDF described the Swapo extraordinary congress as a progressive step in the democratisation of the ruling party.Ulenga said he was surprised by the media’s treatment of Swapo’s presidential succession race – an internal party matter – that depicted as a “forgone conclusion” that Pohamba would be State President.His observation was that the ruling party “was brought face to face with its inner-self by the turn of events”.”The President started to waver but it seemed the people around [him] were determined to march on,” said Ulenga.Venaani wished Pohamba “success” adding that the Congress “proved that Swapo is still in the heyday of the Nujoma kingdom, a Nujoma fiefdom”.UDF’s Garoeb said Swapo had set an example for opposition parties to follow.Ulenga, whose party’s last congress was open to the public throughout, said the CoD would decide on its presidential candidate for the November elections next month.