WINDHOEK – Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) information secretary Jeremiah Nambinga says it is important that the United Nations (UN) supervises next week’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
Nambinga says his party fears the elections would neither be free nor fair due to intimidation and harassment of their supporters.
He said RDP believes that government under the Swapo leadership cannot be trusted to supervise the elections without being monitored by the international community.
Asked whether he does not trust the Southern African Development Community (SADC) observers who arrived in the country last week, Nambinga said he would prefer other international observers.
“It’s not that I don’t trust the SADC observers but we will prefer international observers (sic),” he said.
“Just like in 1989, when the United Nations had to monitor and supervise the elections in Namibia, we feel that for the upcoming elections to be free, fair and credible, they must be supervised and monitored by the international community,” he added.
He said the situation is serious particularly in the northern regions especially in Omusati Region, “where RDP members are literally being held hostage by the ruling party to the extent that they are prevented from attending RDP public meetings”.
Furthermore, Nambinga says the party is highly concerned by the “interference” by foreign companies in Namibian politics.
“We are shocked to hear that foreign companies who are here to do business are allegedly being manipulated by the Swapo ruling party to fund their activities, thereby disadvantaging other political parties in the country,” he said.
“These companies are here only to do business and not to interfere in Namibian politics,” he added.
By Kuzeeko Tjitemisa