By Kuvee Kangueehi
Windhoek
President Hifikepunye Pohamba will stand for a second term as the country’s president when his first term expires in March 2009.
The Swapo Party confirmed this at its fourth congress, which ended on Friday. The congress resolved that Pohamba be the sole Swapo Party candidate for the next presidential election in 2009.
The resolution brings to an end speculation whether Pohamba will step down after one term. This means Pohamba will only step down in 2014, when most of the senior party members will be in retirement.
This could also mean that a Swapo presidential candidate could come from youthful leaders such as Abraham Iyambo, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila or Uutoni Nujoma.
The congress called upon the rank and file of the party as well as the Namibian people to support Pohamba for president in 2009.
The Central Committee was directed by congress to put this resolution into effect.
It was also recommended at the congress that the President of the Republic of Namibia confer the most appropriate and highest award on Dr Sam Nujoma.
A committee will also be established to draw up terms of reference on how Nujoma could still play a meaningful role in the party. Although the terms of reference are not clear yet, Nujoma will officially carry the title “Leader of the Namibian Revolution” and will have rights and privileges at his discretion to attend meetings of any party structure, especially the Central Committee and Politburo.
Swapo also voiced concern at the lack of discipline among some party members and recommended that the Central Committee help to develop a code of conduct and procedures for disciplinary hearings.
The congress was satisfied with the good relationship between the party and National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) as an affiliate organisation and accorded the union an automatic seat on the congress and the Central Committee.
However, it called on the NUNW to ensure that its representative to the Central Committee is a bona fide member of the Swapo Party.
It directed the Central Committee to amend the Swapo Party constitution to put this resolution into effect.
The congress passed 30 resolutions, which addressed a number of issues.
See tomorrow’s edition for more resolutions.