Omaheke primaries delayed

THE ruling Swapo Party has temporarily halted its primary elections in the Omaheke Region amid internal feuding that saw rival party supporters come to blows last week.

Swapo Regional Co-ordinator for Omaheke, Festus Ueitele, said yesterday that he had received a fax message from the party head office in Windhoek instructing him to stop the primaries “until further notice”. The primary elections, to choose Swapo candidates for the upcoming Regional and Local Authority elections, began in the Otjombinde and Epukiro constituencies on January 10 and 11.Gobabis and Otjinene were to be next in line last weekend.Ueitele acknowledged “some problems” between party members in the region, but declined to comment on whether these prompted the Swapo leaders in Windhoek to call off the primaries.The Namibian has learned from sources close to the party in the region that since the dates of the primary elections were announced Swapo members in the Gobabis constituency, where Governor of Omaheke Laura McLeod is pitted against Ambrosius Kandjii, have been heavily lobbied by different factions.The campaigns were said to have degenerated into a mudslinging match which culminated in supporters trading punches on Tuesday last week.The primary elections, to choose Swapo candidates for the upcoming Regional and Local Authority elections, began in the Otjombinde and Epukiro constituencies on January 10 and 11. Gobabis and Otjinene were to be next in line last weekend. Ueitele acknowledged “some problems” between party members in the region, but declined to comment on whether these prompted the Swapo leaders in Windhoek to call off the primaries. The Namibian has learned from sources close to the party in the region that since the dates of the primary elections were announced Swapo members in the Gobabis constituency, where Governor of Omaheke Laura McLeod is pitted against Ambrosius Kandjii, have been heavily lobbied by different factions. The campaigns were said to have degenerated into a mudslinging match which culminated in supporters trading punches on Tuesday last week.