Endorsements not democratic – Nahas
Level the playing field, former PM urges
The party veteran likened endorsements to "some kind of chieftaincy", adding that voters should decide who they want to lead them without favourites pushed to the forefront.
Swapo veteran and former presidential hopeful Nahas Angula supports President Hage Geingob’s decision to break the party’s endorsement tradition, opening the floor to everyone interested in the vice-president position.
He hailed Geingob’s stance as a good beginning which will level the playing field instead of diminishing democracy by pushing a so-called favourite to the forefront.
The party’s vice-president position has been fiercely contested over the last week, with four candidates - incumbent Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Frans Kapofi and Pohamba Shifeta - poised to stand for election at the party’s elective congress slated for November.
Angula commended Geingob for not endorsing Nandi-Ndaitwah the same way he [Geingob] was endorsed by his predecessor Hifikepunye Pohamba and Pohamba by founding president Sam Nujoma.
“I must really commend the president for taking that position, because this thing of endorsement is not really democratic - it is like some kind of chieftaincy. Let people out there decide whom they want to lead them.
“Public endorsement is one thing that gives advantage to someone who is perceived by the public as a favourite of the president, especially a president who still has two years to go. They know they depend on this person,” Angula said.
The former prime minister however conceded that it is difficult to remain neutral when it comes to elections, adding that instead of endorsing a personality, it is best to support positions and ideas.
Campaign trends
From his experience, Angula said the campaigning trend in the party has changed significantly since 2004 when comradeship was the order of the day, as opposed to the 2017 campaign that was tainted with Fishrot bribes.
“In 2004, Pohamba, a respected elder, did not see himself as having won and the other people as vanquished and so he included everybody in his line-up – that was a different spirit.
“In 2017, the situation was such that money played a role and that culture of endorsement is still haunting us. If you go to campaign, people at congress would ask you ‘what’s in it for me, can you put petrol in my car?’
“Some of us have principles and I will not buy a political position. I will not be seeking an office for material benefit, the consequences are obvious,” he said.
True democracy
While anticipating candidates to rally the people around them for financial support, Angula added he is not convinced candidates can truly push a clean campaign in a country flooded with poor people.
“I don’t even believe you can have true democracy with so many people who are so hungry and unemployed. Those with money will always have their way in this kind of thing.
“What is important is participation. Don’t worry about winning or losing, but rather offer yourself to make a contribution to the welfare of the people. Many times, people are impressed by superficial things such as dancing in public. How does that contribute to the progress of the country?”
He urged voters to instead “scrutinise the substantive issues of the campaign”.
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He hailed Geingob’s stance as a good beginning which will level the playing field instead of diminishing democracy by pushing a so-called favourite to the forefront.
The party’s vice-president position has been fiercely contested over the last week, with four candidates - incumbent Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Frans Kapofi and Pohamba Shifeta - poised to stand for election at the party’s elective congress slated for November.
Angula commended Geingob for not endorsing Nandi-Ndaitwah the same way he [Geingob] was endorsed by his predecessor Hifikepunye Pohamba and Pohamba by founding president Sam Nujoma.
“I must really commend the president for taking that position, because this thing of endorsement is not really democratic - it is like some kind of chieftaincy. Let people out there decide whom they want to lead them.
“Public endorsement is one thing that gives advantage to someone who is perceived by the public as a favourite of the president, especially a president who still has two years to go. They know they depend on this person,” Angula said.
The former prime minister however conceded that it is difficult to remain neutral when it comes to elections, adding that instead of endorsing a personality, it is best to support positions and ideas.
Campaign trends
From his experience, Angula said the campaigning trend in the party has changed significantly since 2004 when comradeship was the order of the day, as opposed to the 2017 campaign that was tainted with Fishrot bribes.
“In 2004, Pohamba, a respected elder, did not see himself as having won and the other people as vanquished and so he included everybody in his line-up – that was a different spirit.
“In 2017, the situation was such that money played a role and that culture of endorsement is still haunting us. If you go to campaign, people at congress would ask you ‘what’s in it for me, can you put petrol in my car?’
“Some of us have principles and I will not buy a political position. I will not be seeking an office for material benefit, the consequences are obvious,” he said.
True democracy
While anticipating candidates to rally the people around them for financial support, Angula added he is not convinced candidates can truly push a clean campaign in a country flooded with poor people.
“I don’t even believe you can have true democracy with so many people who are so hungry and unemployed. Those with money will always have their way in this kind of thing.
“What is important is participation. Don’t worry about winning or losing, but rather offer yourself to make a contribution to the welfare of the people. Many times, people are impressed by superficial things such as dancing in public. How does that contribute to the progress of the country?”
He urged voters to instead “scrutinise the substantive issues of the campaign”.
[email protected]
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