Swapo set for defining showdown

SWAPO is set to potentially enter another defining moment today, when the party meets for its electoral college to elect candidates for National Assembly elections slated for November 27 and 28.

In the run-up to the meeting there has been intense lobbying, with the youth in particular wanting to see an infusion of new blood in the Swapo leadership.A political commentator told The Namibian that this could be the most unpredictable Electoral College since Independence. There are three marked interest groups – the Swapo Youth League supported by the National Union of Namibian Workers, the current leadership, which will be fully represented at the Electoral College, and those who have fallen out of favour with the ‘populists’ in the party.Since the 2004 Swapo extraordinary congress, some leaders who at the time supported Hidipo Hamutenya, who subsequently left Swapo to form the Rally for Democracy and Progress, have been labelled ‘hibernators’.As a result they have been targeted repeatedly and have been pressed to declare their loyalty to the party.The Youth League has been particularly vocal about getting leaders who, they argue, can debate public policy and implement it in Parliament, saying that they would be guided by this in the nominations and voting.But a political analyst told The Namibian that the event is likely to be a popularity contest, as Swapo does not have clear guidelines as to the calibre of leaders to be elected. So far only Veterans’ Affairs Minister Ngarikutuke Tjiriange and Youth League secretary Elijah Ngurare are on the record as stating that they will not stand for tonight’s elections. Tjiriange made his decision known this week, while Ngurare did so at the last Swapo Central Committee at the end of July.The Namibian randomly called several party leaders to ask if they would stand at tonight’s showdown or not.Dr Nickey Iyambo declined to make his intentions known and simply said: ‘I will make my intentions known tomorrow [today] at the event.’Prime Minister Angula declined to tell The Namibian about his future plans, saying that ‘retirement is a personal matter’. Foreign Affairs Minister Marco Hausiku echoed Angula’s sentiments, saying: ‘I don’t need to make it public.’Labour Minister Immanuel Ngatjizeko said he will stand and leave it up the people to decide.MP Elia (George) Kaiyamo also said he will stand and, if elected, he could serve as an MP for another five years. Kaiyamo is confident that the process will be democratic and that the best candidates will win.The Namibian also contacted younger cadres like Swapo backbencher Peya Mushelenga, who seems to be a rising star in Parliament. He declined to talk about tonight’s elections. Mushelenga seems to have fallen out of favour with the Youth League, which is increasingly seen as one of the power brokers in the party. The Namibian has it on good authority that he does not feature as one of the preferred candidates. Youth Deputy Minister Pohamba Shifeta shot down allegations that he is out of favour with the youth and said he would stand tonight.’Let’s see when the process starts,’ he said.- See also article and column on page 8