One RDP, two lists

A faction that reconvened the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) national convention on 11 to 13 October in Otjiwarongo says it will challenge the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) in court for accepting a list of candidates from another group on 11 October.Asser Sheuyange, who was elected as secretary-general at the meeting in Otjiwarongo, said the ECN has “committed a serious mistake by accepting a fraudulent list for National Assembly and the name of the presidential candidate, in the name of the RDP”. Sheuyange was speaking outside the RDP head office after being stopped from conducting a media conference on the premises on Tuesday.He said the “legitimate list” of candidates has wrongly been “rejected”.“[The] party is left with no other option but to pursue this matter in a competent court of law,” Sheuyange said, adding that the ECN should withdraw the “fraudulent candidates and accept the legitimate candidates” submitted by RDP director of elections John Nghishekwa.Mike Kavekotora, who was elected as the RDP's presidential candidate at the party's disputed electoral college at Rundu earlier this month, wrote to the ECN that Nghishekwa had resigned as the party's director of elections and was replaced by Brunhilde Cornelius.Not so, says Sheuyange, who added: “Of course this is completely inaccurate and false.”Sheuyange said the party is not splitting into two, despite it having different election candidate lists. “We have one constitution; we are one party,” he insisted. Otjiwarongo electionsSheuyange said the Otjiwarongo meeting nullified decisions of the convention held in June for a number of reasons. The Otjiwarongo meeting found that the election of Kavekotora and Cornelius, respectively as president and secretary-general, did not adhere to the RDP constitution. Equally, it found that both Kavekotora and Kennedy Shekupakela (for the position of vice-president) did not get 50+1% of the votes as required.The Otjiwarongo convention elected a list of 53 candidates for the upcoming national elections, which includes Kandy Nehova as presidential candidate, Tjinezuma Kavari (vice-president), Phyllicia Hercules (national chairperson), Iyaloo Werner (deputy chairperson), Sheuyange (secretary-general), and Desmond ?Nauseb (deputy SG). 'Illegal'Sheuyange said all meetings held subsequent to the national convention in June are illegal, because none were sanctioned by a central committee (CC), which at the time was non-existent.The reconvened meeting, among others, decided to open an RDP election campaign bank account with FNB Namibia, and has applied for the replacement of signatories to the party's Bank Windhoek current account. It has also sought legal advice to assist resolving the political crisis in the party. CATHERINE SASMAN

One RDP, two lists

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

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One RDP, two lists

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-03

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