Coalition partners willing to save marriage

OGONE TLHAGE



WINDHOEK

Three of the parties to the controversial City coalition on the City of Windhoek council said they are willing to sit around the table and iron out their differences with the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC).

Pandemonium broke out yesterday when a document - under an IPC letterhead - titled ‘Progressive Forces Coalition Agreement’ leaked into the public domain.

Sources from the three entities accused IPC of wanting to impose its political programme on them and that it is unwilling to incorporate their suggestions into the agreement.

Talks were that IPC - which has been accused of being the reason why the agreement was never signed - intentionally leaked the document, which sported the signature of party leader Dr Panduleni Itula, to place the other coalition partners in a bad light.

The other partners are the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, Nudo and the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM).

One of the most controversial clauses identified by the trio prohibits parties from supporting “any policy advanced by any other non-Progressive Forces Party or private member and, if any resolutions are introduced at a council meeting, shall vote in favour of such resolution or abstain upon the vote unless and until the consent in writing has been obtained by the Parties to the Progressive Forces”.

Some of the coalition partners yesterday told Namibian Sun that they are willing to get back to the drawing board despite what they have described as “dictatorial qualities” from the IPC leader.

Itula yesterday distanced himself from the talks, saying “I never participated in any negotiations on coalitions”.

IPC national secretary-general Christine Aochamus, on the other hand, denied that the party was forcing its ideas on its coalition partners.

“You have to see the entire document; it was a proposal, it was never endorsed,” she said.

Peace pipe

Nudo member of parliament Jossy Kauandenge said he was hopeful the coalition partners could sit around the table and work on an agreement.

He also weighed in on Itula, calling him a “dictatorial”.

“What makes it difficult is not the IPC but Dr Itula. He is a dictator par excellence. Itula, with his four seats, cannot do anything,” he said.

According to him, Itula single-handedly drafted the agreement and expected other parties to sign.

“It does not work like that,” Kauandenge added.

‘We will not be coerced’

AR spokesperson Simon Amunime said his movement is willing to come to the party and iron out an agreement with other members of the coalition.

“We can continue to seek consensus, but we will not be coerced. We are trying to arrange a meeting,” he said.

According to Amunime, AR was willing to continue within the coalition on a programme basis, but also took issue with Itula’s conduct with regards to drafting the coalition agreement.

“That process never reached a conclusion. IPC never showed up for conclusion of the agreement; they never showed up and they never apologised. It was not a collective document but his [Itula’s] agreement,” he said.

“We said no, we don’t operate like that, he is dictating. He already appointed himself as a governing body,” Amunime added.

No other discussions

Meanwhile, PDM secretary-general Manuel Ngaringombe said his party’s stance has remained consistent with regards to the coalition.

“The PDM is in a coalition agreement. There are no other discussions except that we are in the coalition,” he said.

IPC had temporarily suspended its members from the City of Windhoek council, with the party saying the three councillors erred in their judgement to admit responsibility, alongside a public statement by mayor Job Amupanda, for a recent incident where homes were demolished in the Mukwanangombe informal settlement in the Tobias Hainyeko constituency.

The IPC holds four seats, while AR holds two and PDM and Nudo hold one seat each. Swapo holds five seats, while the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) holds two.