Union joins fray on presidential succession race

THE National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) yesterday condemned what it described as dirty campaigning by “some” Swapo Party leaders in the run-up to the party choosing its presidential successor.

They were conducting a campaign marked by mudslinging and character assassination, bordering on defamation, the umbrella union’s acting Secretary General Peter Naholo, said at a press conference at Oshakati. Reading a union statement, he said the NUNW hailed Swapo for the transparent and democratic manner in which the Polit Bureau and Central Committee had addressed the question of a successor to President Sam Nujoma by nominating three candidates.However, the union said, reports about widespread “dirty campaigns” were disturbing.The press conference follows a planned May Day event at Oniingo on Saturday which ended in confusion.A number of Regional Councillors appeared to snub the event, which was to be addressed by one of the presidential candidates, Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya.Although the Councillors denied that they had boycotted the occasion, rumours swirled that “tribal preferences” were behind their action.On the one hand, the regional officials claimed they had not been informed that Hamutenya would be the keynote speaker; on the other they accused the NUNW of “hijacking” the event.Yesterday Naholo noted that Swapo’s Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange had appealed to candidates and their supporters at the recent Central Committee meeting to abide by the Party’s Code of Conduct for Campaigning.”If any member of the Polit Bureau and of the Central Committee of Swapo felt that any of the three candidates is not suitable for the high office, then he or she should have raised his or her objection to the nomination and endorsement at the appropriate time and place,” Naholo said.He said the vilification of individual candidates contravened the collective decision of the entire Swapo leadership.It was disturbing that some senior members had been guilty of these practices, Naholo said.He did not name the alleged culprits.”If they are old, they should pave the way for the young people who will not work in the interest of tribalism and self interest,” he remarked.Politics, he said, was the art of the possible and any one of the three candidates could be elected to succeed President Sam Nujoma.In the event of the vilified candidate being chosen, would those involved in dirty campaigning be magnanimous in joining the rest of the party’s supporters to campaign for the presidential candidate in the next election, Naholo asked.”It is understandable that each and every one of us has a preferred candidate and one cannot be neutral about a presidential candidate as one is making a choice about one’s own future and the future of our children.So, we as representatives of the workers cannot be expected to be neutral.”However as disciplined party members, and as democrats, we cannot make ourselves guilty of violating the Code of Conduct in our campaign for the candidate of our choice,” Naholo said.The NUNW believed in unity and solidarity among the workers, and the people of Namibia at large, and they were bound to support a candidate who was capable of charting a course of development that would serve the interests of the workers and their allies.”We would like to have someone who will make national wealth creation and Black Economic Empowerment a priority above priorities,” Naholo said.”We would like to have someone who is going to enhance our standing in the community of nations.”Naholo said the NUNW was looking forward to a campaign based on the marketing of the merits of the various candidates.”The workers are called upon to campaign and, above all to vote for the pro-workers’ candidate who is capable of leading this country in the 21st century, taking advantage of the opportunities of globalisation while at the same time averting its threats.”Reading a union statement, he said the NUNW hailed Swapo for the transparent and democratic manner in which the Polit Bureau and Central Committee had addressed the question of a successor to President Sam Nujoma by nominating three candidates.However, the union said, reports about widespread “dirty campaigns” were disturbing.The press conference follows a planned May Day event at Oniingo on Saturday which ended in confusion.A number of Regional Councillors appeared to snub the event, which was to be addressed by one of the presidential candidates, Foreign Affairs Minister Hidipo Hamutenya.Although the Councillors denied that they had boycotted the occasion, rumours swirled that “tribal preferences” were behind their action.On the one hand, the regional officials claimed they had not been informed that Hamutenya would be the keynote speaker; on the other they accused the NUNW of “hijacking” the event.Yesterday Naholo noted that Swapo’s Secretary General Ngarikutuke Tjiriange had appealed to candidates and their supporters at the recent Central Committee meeting to abide by the Party’s Code of Conduct for Campaigning.”If any member of the Polit Bureau and of the Central Committee of Swapo felt that any of the three candidates is not suitable for the high office, then he or she should have raised his or her objection to the nomination and endorsement at the appropriate time and place,” Naholo said.He said the vilification of individual candidates contravened the collective decision of the entire Swapo leadership.It was disturbing that some senior members had been guilty of these practices, Naholo said.He did not name the alleged culprits.”If they are old, they should pave the way for the young people who will not work in the interest of tribalism and self interest,” he remarked.Politics, he said, was the art of the possible and any one of the three candidates could be elected to succeed President Sam Nujoma.In the event of the vilified candidate being chosen, would those involved in dirty campaigning be magnanimous in joining the rest of the party’s supporters to campaign for the presidential candidate in the next election, Naholo asked.”It is understandable that each and every one of us has a preferred candidate and one cannot be neutral about a presidential candidate as one is making a choice about one’s own future and the future of our children.So, we as representatives of the workers cannot be expected to be neutral.”However as disciplined party members, and as democrats, we cannot make ourselves guilty of violating the Code of Conduct in our campaign for the candidate of our choice,” Naholo said.The NUNW believed in unity and solidarity among the workers, and the people of Namibia at large, and they were bound to support a candidate who was capable of charting a course of development that would serve the interests of the workers and their allies.”We would like to have someone who will make national wealth creation and Black Economic Empowerment a priority above priorities,” Naholo said.”We would like to have someone who is going to enhance our standing in the community of nations.”Naholo said the NUNW was looking forward to a campaign based on the marketing of the merits of the various candidates.”The workers are called upon to campaign and, above all to vote for the pro-workers’ candidate who is capable of leading this country in the 21st century, taking advantage of the opportunities of globalisation while at the same time averting its threats.”