Namibia: Ruling SWAPO jittery over independent candidates
SWAPO party’s dominion over Namibian politics began at independence in March 1990 when the former liberation movement won the first democratic elections but its stranglehold is slowly being tested.Over the past 29 years, the ruling party has consolidated its dominance, with little challenge from the opposition.
The party commands popular support across all age groups, with its strong base in the north-central regions.
As has become tradition, SWAPO is again confident of cruising to victory in the upcoming general elections set for November.
Swapo MPs mum during question time
Only one Swapo MP asked questions last year during National Assembly question-and-answer sessions (Q&As).
An overview, which forms of a study by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR), authored by Max Weylandt and Ndeapo Wolf, showed that out of 159 parliamentary questions, only eight (around 5%) were asked by Swapo, and all by one MP, Veikko Nekundi.
Professor Peter Katjavivi responds on Democracy Report
The Swapo Chief Whip’s opinion piece on rating MPs