Ulenga CoD faction will not appeal court ruling

CONGRESS of Democrats (CoD) President Ben Ulenga says he and his supporters will abide by last week’s High Court ruling ordering the reinstatement of all party members who formed a rebel faction after a disputed election at a party congress at Keetmanshoop in May last year.

“We will not appeal against the ruling of Judge Louis Muller,” Ulenga told a press briefing on Friday. “I shall proceed to give full effect to the court ruling.In a few days’ time I plan to convene a meeting with the leadership as it was before the May 2007 congress as per court ruling,” Ulenga added.”We will also set a date within five months from now for a new congress as the High Court stipulated.”The High Court ordered Ulenga and his faction to hold a congress to elect a new party leadership five months from the date of last week’s ruling, which was July 17.Ousted CoD members Nora Schimming-Chase, Elma Dienda, Moses Katjiuongua, Pauline Dempers and Windhoek Town Councillor Herbert Schultz are now back in the CoD party fold.The court ruling is also a posthumous victory for the late Kala Gertze, who died in March this year, and would have been back in his position as CoD Secretary General, had he still been alive.Another ousted CoD member, Ignatius Shixwameni, who has in the meantime established his own political party, will probably not return to the CoD.When asked whether he would now resign, since he had publicly stated he would relinquish his post as party president should any irregularities be found after the Keetmanshoop elections, Ulenga was quick to point out that the High Court did not rule on the alleged irregularities.”The applicants dropped those charges during the court hearings for technical reasons,” Ulenga said.”I shall proceed to give full effect to the court ruling.In a few days’ time I plan to convene a meeting with the leadership as it was before the May 2007 congress as per court ruling,” Ulenga added.”We will also set a date within five months from now for a new congress as the High Court stipulated.”The High Court ordered Ulenga and his faction to hold a congress to elect a new party leadership five months from the date of last week’s ruling, which was July 17.Ousted CoD members Nora Schimming-Chase, Elma Dienda, Moses Katjiuongua, Pauline Dempers and Windhoek Town Councillor Herbert Schultz are now back in the CoD party fold.The court ruling is also a posthumous victory for the late Kala Gertze, who died in March this year, and would have been back in his position as CoD Secretary General, had he still been alive.Another ousted CoD member, Ignatius Shixwameni, who has in the meantime established his own political party, will probably not return to the CoD.When asked whether he would now resign, since he had publicly stated he would relinquish his post as party president should any irregularities be found after the Keetmanshoop elections, Ulenga was quick to point out that the High Court did not rule on the alleged irregularities.”The applicants dropped those charges during the court hearings for technical reasons,” Ulenga said.