Tsumeb set for four-way contest

Tsumeb set for four-way contest

THE March 30 by-election to elect a new Regional Councillor for the Tsumeb constituency is set to be contested by candidates from four political parties.

The names of the nominated candidates were announced by the returning officer for the by-election, Kaembo Kasiringua, at the Magistrate’s Court here on Wednesday morning. They are: * Primary school teacher Lebbius Tangeni Tobias (36), for Swapo; * Rainhold Hoaeb (34), who is employed at a Tsumeb printing company and was nominated by the Congress of Democrats; * Victoria Ochurus (40), a mother of three and the only female candidate, nominated by the UDF; and * Robert Neidel, representing Nudo.Each of the parties had groups of supporters, dressed in party colours and bearing party banners, parties, present at the announcement of nominations.The by-election is being held to choose a successor to former Swapo Regional Councillor Nico Kaiyamo, who resigned at the end of last year.From March 4 to 6, residents of this predominantly urban constituency will be able to register as voters.At this stage the constituency has 9 135 registered voters.Swapo has scored solid absolute majorities in Tsumeb at every election since the first Regional Council polls in 1992.The ruling party’s share of the vote has ranged between a high of 78,5 per cent, at the 1998 local authority elections, and a low of 65 per cent, at the 1999 National Assembly elections.The DTA was once the second largest party in the constituency, pulling 22,5 per cent of the votes in the 1992 Regional Council polls.Since then, its support has dwindled, to the extent that on March 30 it will not field a candidate alongside that of its coalition partner, the UDF.For newly registered Nudo, the by-election will be its first test of support at Tsumeb; for the CoD, its second election outing in the town.The CoD drew 18 per cent of the votes at the 1999 National Assembly elections, establishing it as the strongest party here after Swapo.They are: * Primary school teacher Lebbius Tangeni Tobias (36), for Swapo; * Rainhold Hoaeb (34), who is employed at a Tsumeb printing company and was nominated by the Congress of Democrats; * Victoria Ochurus (40), a mother of three and the only female candidate, nominated by the UDF; and * Robert Neidel, representing Nudo. Each of the parties had groups of supporters, dressed in party colours and bearing party banners, parties, present at the announcement of nominations. The by-election is being held to choose a successor to former Swapo Regional Councillor Nico Kaiyamo, who resigned at the end of last year. From March 4 to 6, residents of this predominantly urban constituency will be able to register as voters. At this stage the constituency has 9 135 registered voters. Swapo has scored solid absolute majorities in Tsumeb at every election since the first Regional Council polls in 1992. The ruling party’s share of the vote has ranged between a high of 78,5 per cent, at the 1998 local authority elections, and a low of 65 per cent, at the 1999 National Assembly elections. The DTA was once the second largest party in the constituency, pulling 22,5 per cent of the votes in the 1992 Regional Council polls. Since then, its support has dwindled, to the extent that on March 30 it will not field a candidate alongside that of its coalition partner, the UDF. For newly registered Nudo, the by-election will be its first test of support at Tsumeb; for the CoD, its second election outing in the town. The CoD drew 18 per cent of the votes at the 1999 National Assembly elections, establishing it as the strongest party here after Swapo.

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