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UDF yet to decide on National Assembly representatives

WRITTEN BY: UAKUTURA KAMBAEKUA

With only two months until the swearing-in of National Assembly members following the pivotal elections in November 2024, the United Democratic Front (UDF) has yet to determine its parliamentary representatives for this term.

The party secured two seats in last year’s elections, amassing 16 828 votes in the National Assembly race.

Currently, the UDF is represented in parliament by former party president Apius Auchab and vice president Dudu Murorua. However, they could not maintain their leadership roles after losing last January’s primaries at Swakopmund.

The leadership has now passed to Hendrik Gaobaeb, the councillor of Sesfontentein and chairperson of the Kunene Regional Council, who has taken over as party president, alongside Kamanjab councillor Nico Somaeb, who is now the party’s vice president.

On Tuesday, Mabasen /Narib, the UDF’s national spokesperson, indicated that the party’s central committee will meet before March to decide on this matter.

“The central committee will convene before March to take a decision on this matter. As of now, there is no clear answer to this question,” he said.

Gaobaeb and Somaeb are poised to fill the two seats in the August House after their impressive victories in the parliamentary race, securing the first and second positions on the UDF party list.

However, the party remains uncertain about their participation since both candidates are yet to resign to assume their parliamentary roles.

Narib said the party might appoint other candidates from within its ranks, allowing the president and vice president to finish their terms in the regional council before joining the National Assembly next year.

“The fact that they are currently tied up with other commitments in the regional council could mean that the party can assign other capable and capacitated comrades to allow the president and the vice to complete their terms first,” he noted.

This situation is not unfamiliar to UDF, as it first emerged in 2014 when the party’s former vice president, Dudu Murorua, served as a constituency councillor for Kamanjab.

At the time, Murorua was permitted to finish his term as a councillor before moving to the National Assembly the following year.

However, UDF remains bold enough to challenge its dominance in the face of a by-election.

”UDF is a political party that has capable comrades within its ranks. So, we are not scared of by-elections if that is the route that the central committee resolves upon,” /Narib said.

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