Blowback over dual candidacy
Politicians fear too much talent will be lost
Several political parties feel a move aimed at limiting contestations in the presidential and parliamentary elections could prove detrimental.
Several political parties have voiced concerns over the Independent Patriots for Change’s (IPC's) pursuit to compel the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to make public its position on the dual-candidacy arrangement, which allows politicians to contest in both the National Assembly and presidential elections.
The Electoral Court will next week make a decision on whether it has the jurisdiction to hear and adjudicate the matter in which the IPC wants the court to order the ECN to disclose a legal opinion by the attorney general on the issue of dual candidacies.
IPC is of the view that candidates should only be allowed to contest for one position – National Assembly or presidential – instead of both, as per the current arrangement.
All People's Party president Nangolo Shuumbwa, who is in support of the IPC's push to have the dual-candidacy regime changed, said “the move will eliminate chance takers."
He added: “It will get rid of those who are only trying their luck. If you want to go to the State House, why do you still want to be on the National Assembly ballot?”
Political critics of the move, however, accused the IPC of using clandestine tactics to eliminate aspiring presidential candidates at the presidential polls slated for later this year.
“Itula wanted everyone else to close shop and join him, but it didn’t work, and now he approached the court. And since he is obsessed with being president by any means, this is his new tactic,” a source privy to the matter said.
IPC spokesperson Imms Nashinge said because the matter is currently sub judice he could not respond to the allegations.
“We are waiting for the court outcome before we can address this matter, so please bear with us,” he said.
Numbers game
Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani said he feels “they [IPC] have a problem with their numbers and are now trying to force people to support them for the presidency.
“The fundamentals must be explicit and can’t be implied. We can’t have a new constitution based on the implications of what Dr Itula is saying. For PDM, the assumption is very weak because it is based on the fact that Itula thinks candidates would rather choose to be members of parliament because they would not be serious contenders for the presidency,” Venaani told Namibian Sun yesterday.
If given an explicit choice, Venaani said he would run for president of the country “because that is what I want to become.”
He added: “People should not underestimate our resolve on what we want to achieve in our lives. We are successful people in our own lives because we know what we want for the country. People should not come here and think that some politicians are 'Mickey Mouse' and would rather opt for parliament, and only he would opt for president. How could someone who is not wealthier than everybody think people would not want to run for president of the country?”
"For us, it is not a problem," Venaani said.
"It would probably only affect the smaller parties that might not have chances to become president because of the support that they could not get.”
No change needed
The Landless People's Movement (LPM) said "this [current] system works because across several democratic systems there is an inter-dependent nature and that Itula’s suggestion would make more sense if there is an overall change in the democratic system altogether."
LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa said: “Immediately, the first argument is that there is no urgency for a difference in the system. There is no direct problem that is solved by such a suggestion. The executive and the legislature hold separate powers in government. To be a candidate in both categories doesn't cause any conflict of interest. It doesn't begin to interrogate any possible crosshairs, nor are any issues articulated.”
He added that changing the system would create backlash because “the system attempts to address a gap that does not exist and limits political engagement at all levels.”
Another disadvantage, according to Simataa, is the perceived emergence of a lacklustre political system, one in which talent is limited in one category, especially in the political sphere.
“If all capable politicians run for president and there is only one winner, all of the capable candidates will have to sit out of the system till the following election cycle. Therefore, you would not have the robust and various views shared or expressed,” Simataa explained.
He concluded: “Such restrictions do not allow for political will to be expressed and experienced and this can be seen as an uninformed attempt at forcing an involuntary coalition, where opposition parties endorse someone to run for president but still preserve their position in parliament. A thought that can only be conceived by an individual that has not worked within the political system, who has only run for president and has not worked within the branches of government since their attempt at being president.”
Law abiding
United Democratic Front president Hendrik Gaobaeb said if contestants are limited to choosing between contesting – through their political parties – to serve in the National Assembly or for the presidential elections, “it will rob the country of capable people.”
“We might lose someone who has the capacity to serve as a lawmaker, even if they lost during the presidential elections,” he said.
With the law being rather silent on dual-candidacy, Gaobaeb said it is up to lawmakers to look into the matter.
“It is shortsightedness on the part of lawmakers not to explicitly outline this issue in the electoral law, hence, any discussions around this matter are tantamount to us punching in the air,” he said.
The Electoral Court will next week make a decision on whether it has the jurisdiction to hear and adjudicate the matter in which the IPC wants the court to order the ECN to disclose a legal opinion by the attorney general on the issue of dual candidacies.
IPC is of the view that candidates should only be allowed to contest for one position – National Assembly or presidential – instead of both, as per the current arrangement.
All People's Party president Nangolo Shuumbwa, who is in support of the IPC's push to have the dual-candidacy regime changed, said “the move will eliminate chance takers."
He added: “It will get rid of those who are only trying their luck. If you want to go to the State House, why do you still want to be on the National Assembly ballot?”
Political critics of the move, however, accused the IPC of using clandestine tactics to eliminate aspiring presidential candidates at the presidential polls slated for later this year.
“Itula wanted everyone else to close shop and join him, but it didn’t work, and now he approached the court. And since he is obsessed with being president by any means, this is his new tactic,” a source privy to the matter said.
IPC spokesperson Imms Nashinge said because the matter is currently sub judice he could not respond to the allegations.
“We are waiting for the court outcome before we can address this matter, so please bear with us,” he said.
Numbers game
Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani said he feels “they [IPC] have a problem with their numbers and are now trying to force people to support them for the presidency.
“The fundamentals must be explicit and can’t be implied. We can’t have a new constitution based on the implications of what Dr Itula is saying. For PDM, the assumption is very weak because it is based on the fact that Itula thinks candidates would rather choose to be members of parliament because they would not be serious contenders for the presidency,” Venaani told Namibian Sun yesterday.
If given an explicit choice, Venaani said he would run for president of the country “because that is what I want to become.”
He added: “People should not underestimate our resolve on what we want to achieve in our lives. We are successful people in our own lives because we know what we want for the country. People should not come here and think that some politicians are 'Mickey Mouse' and would rather opt for parliament, and only he would opt for president. How could someone who is not wealthier than everybody think people would not want to run for president of the country?”
"For us, it is not a problem," Venaani said.
"It would probably only affect the smaller parties that might not have chances to become president because of the support that they could not get.”
No change needed
The Landless People's Movement (LPM) said "this [current] system works because across several democratic systems there is an inter-dependent nature and that Itula’s suggestion would make more sense if there is an overall change in the democratic system altogether."
LPM spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa said: “Immediately, the first argument is that there is no urgency for a difference in the system. There is no direct problem that is solved by such a suggestion. The executive and the legislature hold separate powers in government. To be a candidate in both categories doesn't cause any conflict of interest. It doesn't begin to interrogate any possible crosshairs, nor are any issues articulated.”
He added that changing the system would create backlash because “the system attempts to address a gap that does not exist and limits political engagement at all levels.”
Another disadvantage, according to Simataa, is the perceived emergence of a lacklustre political system, one in which talent is limited in one category, especially in the political sphere.
“If all capable politicians run for president and there is only one winner, all of the capable candidates will have to sit out of the system till the following election cycle. Therefore, you would not have the robust and various views shared or expressed,” Simataa explained.
He concluded: “Such restrictions do not allow for political will to be expressed and experienced and this can be seen as an uninformed attempt at forcing an involuntary coalition, where opposition parties endorse someone to run for president but still preserve their position in parliament. A thought that can only be conceived by an individual that has not worked within the political system, who has only run for president and has not worked within the branches of government since their attempt at being president.”
Law abiding
United Democratic Front president Hendrik Gaobaeb said if contestants are limited to choosing between contesting – through their political parties – to serve in the National Assembly or for the presidential elections, “it will rob the country of capable people.”
“We might lose someone who has the capacity to serve as a lawmaker, even if they lost during the presidential elections,” he said.
With the law being rather silent on dual-candidacy, Gaobaeb said it is up to lawmakers to look into the matter.
“It is shortsightedness on the part of lawmakers not to explicitly outline this issue in the electoral law, hence, any discussions around this matter are tantamount to us punching in the air,” he said.
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