By Haulamba la Nangobe
I say, comrades, contrary to the currently widely held view by many Swapo members, an extraordinary Swapo congress cannot override the electoral outcome of an ordinary Swapo congress.
Only a court of law can, upon proof on a balance of probabilities, set aside an electoral outcome of ordinary or elective Swapo congress if it was fraudulent.
The above assessment is the only conclusion an informed, objective and reasonable person can arrive at after carefully reading certain specific provisions of the Swapo constitution and attendant rules and procedures for elections.
There are currently so many Swapo comrades, especially those whose preferred candidates (including Cde Jerry Ekandjo) were unsuccessful during the Swapo ordinary or elective congress last year, who wrongly believe that an extraordinary congress this year or next would give their preferred candidates a better chance of victory. Such comrades are dead wrong. Here’s why and how:
In so far as the president is concerned, an extraordinary congress can only be convened to elect a new president once the existing president, who had been elected at ordinary congress, becomes permanently unavailable (read article 15(9-10) of the Swapo constitution). However, the new president will ONLY serve until the next ordinary congress.
The above then means a new president elected at an extraordinary congress is, in fact and law, only an ad hoc or caretaker or temporary or acting and not a permanent president who rules only for the unexpired term of office of the existing president, who had been elected at the last ordinary congress and who would have resigned!
Let us face it: president Hage Geingob was duly and lawfully elected by acclamation at ordinary congress last year. However, since he is barred by the Namibian Constitution from running for Namibian president in 2024, Swapo vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is now AUTOMATICALLY our Swapo candidate for the 2024 election, simply because she was, as such, duly and lawfully elected at ordinary congress last year (pleaase read rules 8, 10 and 53).
This also means that if, say, president Geingob resigns today as Swapo president and a new president is elected at extraordinary congress this year or next, that new president will NEVER become our Swapo candidate for 2024.
Because, first, he or she is just an ad hoc or catertaker or temporary or acting president only and, second, because he or she was not duly elected by ordinary or elective congress last year!
In light of the above, this here Haulamba la Nangobe warns all our genuine Swapo members not to be misled by those power-hungry opportunists who are calling and or campaigning for an extraordinary congress to so-called elect our presidential candidate for 2024 (see one of the pictures below).
We already have our sole and authentic presidential candidate for 2024 in the name and person of Cde Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah!
