Swapo says National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila would be removed “over our dead bodies”.
Swapo deputy secretary general Uahekua Herunga yesterday responded to a motion calling for Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s removal, moved in the National Assembly by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) on Wednesday.
“Over our dead bodies. They will not remove the speaker. We voted for her to be the speaker and we do not see her doing any wrong,” he said.
Herunga said there was an attempt to table the motion without proper notice.
“You cannot move a motion to remove a speaker without giving notice of the motion. We will not allow it,” he said.
Herunga said the developments were nothing more than political theatrics intended to create chaos in the parliament.
“We will not stand by and watch the parliament become a joke,” he said.
Opposition parties would need to unite and obtain at least four Swapo members’ votes to remove Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
The speaker has been under fire from opposition parties for allegedly failing to apply the National Assembly’s standing rules fairly and impartially.
The stakes went up this week after IPC member Michael Mulunga moved a motion to remove the former prime minister as head of Namibia’s biggest lawmaking house.
The motion calls for complaints of contempt of the House involving members of parliament (MPs) to be referred to the committee of privileges rather than being dealt with directly by the speaker.
The motion is, however, yet to be tabled after Kuugongelwa-Amadhila deferred her ruling amid heated exchanges in the House.
Mulunga on Wednesday said the speaker’s decision to defer her ruling was linked to the fact that the motion is directed at her, making it difficult for her to rule on the matter without further consultation.
According to Affirmative Repositioning (AR) chief whip Vaino Hangula, the Constitution provides that the speaker may be removed “by resolution of the National Assembly” through a majority of votes.
“A simple majority here is 49 votes. Assuming the deputy speaker presides over the motion to remove the speaker, the presiding member does not ordinarily vote; they have a casting vote only if there is a tie under Article 54,” he said.
The opposition currently has 45 voting members, while Swapo has 51, meaning opposition parties would fall four votes short if they vote as a bloc.
The 45 would then need four extra votes to tip the scales.
“It is my belief that if we vote by secret ballot, there will be more than three Swapo MPs who will vote with the opposition, because many have stated that they are not happy with the speaker either,” he said.
Hangula said the AR fully supports the motion brought by the official opposition.
The Constitution says 49 voting members must be physically present in the chamber for a vote to take place.
Swapo parliamentarian Willem Amutenya yesterday said the issue is not simply whether Swapo would vote “against” the motion.
“The fundamental question is whether the motion qualifies under . . . the standing rules . . . as a motion that may properly be moved without notice, and whether the constitutional and procedural requirements for seeking the removal of the speaker have been satisfied,” he said.
Amutenya said as members of the parliament, they cannot allow parliamentary procedures to be reduced to political convenience.
He said every motion must satisfy the requirements of the law and the rules of the House.
“Swapo will defend due process . . . If the motion meets all constitutional and procedural requirements, it must be dealt with according to the rules. If it does not, the parliament must equally have the courage to say so,” he said.
Amutenya said it is about protecting the system, respecting the Constitution and ensuring that the National Assembly is never turned into a platform where procedures are bypassed for political expediency.
IN SUPPORT
All People’s Party president Ambrosius Kumbwa also supports the motion.
“There is no rule currently stopping the speaker from tabling the motion or proceeding over it even if it is against her. She can still preside, but her unruly conduct is what led to the vote of no confidence,” he said.
Landless People’s Movement chief whip Dawid Eigub said the LPM supports the motion, adding it is long overdue as the House has not made any progress in passing motions or bills.
“We follow the order paper and prepare well, only to come to the sessions and leave disappointed because of the speaker.
“We want to do our job and contribute to improving our people’s lives. We support the motion, but we will need a number of votes from some Swapo members and we won’t know because it would be a secret ballot process,” he said.
National Unity Democratic Organisation chief whip Vetaruhe Kandorozu also supports the motion, but said the outcome would depend on the majority of voting members present.
IPC shadow minister of legal affairs Elvis Lizazi said the Constitution allows the National Assembly to remove the speaker by resolution.
He said Rule 26(6) provides for voting by secret ballot, overseen by the secretary of the National Assembly, while Rule 114(1) requires 49 voting members to be present for a vote to take place.
The numbers have become central to the political battle because even if all 45 opposition MPs vote in favour of removing Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, they cannot reach the required threshold without support from the ruling party.
Swanu of Namibia president Evilastus Kaaronda, however, argued that the speaker did not need to rule on the substance of the motion and should instead have allowed it to be tabled before handing over the chair to the deputy speaker.
“The proper handling of the motion was for the speaker to have the member table it and then ask the House for a moment to allow the deputy speaker to take the presidium,” Kaaronda said.
‘MISHANDLED’
He accused the parliamentary legal team and secretary of the National Assembly of mishandling the matter.
AR leader Job Amupanda yesterday also criticised the speaker, saying the motion would ultimately have to be subjected to a secret vote once it is debated.
National Democratic Party president Martin Lukato, meanwhile, yesterday said removing Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and replacing her with another Swapo speaker would not address the broader problem with the parliamentary system.
He called for laws to be amended to ensure the speaker is a politically neutral figure.
For now, however, the immediate battle is over the numbers: 45 opposition votes are not enough, he said.
