WINDHOEK – All sitting National Assembly lawmakers from the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) made it to the top of the party’s National Assembly list after the party held its electoral college in Windhoek over the weekend. The convention, which began on Saturday morning, went into the early hours of Sunday morning with delegates waiting patiently for the presiding officers to announce the results.
Current RDP’s parliamentarians such as Heiko Lucks, Peter Naholo, Kandy Nehova and Anton von Wietersheim are all in the top ten. RDP’s President Hidipo Hamutenya, Vice President, Steve Bezuidenhoudt, Secretary General, Mike Kavekotora and Deputy Secretary, General Agnes Limbo occupy the top four positions on the list.
The National Assembly is likely to have a married couple, seeing that Anton von Wietersheim and his wife Monika both secured favourable places on the list, with Von Wietersheim ranked 5th while his wife at 8th position.
The results also mean that a by-election could be held in the Windhoek East Constituency after Nic Kruger, its Councillor ranked 6th on the party list. Presiding officer, Carola Engelbrecht and her team took about seven hours to count the 8 187 votes casted. In total 176 candidates contested for a spot on the list. Candidates making up the top ten of the list includes Heiko Lucks, Miriam Hamutenya, Peter Naholo, Kandy Nehova, Anton von Wietersheim, Nic Kruger, Kennedy Shekupakela, Monika von Wietersheim, Jeremiah Nambinga and Magnus Nangombe.
Over 200 delegates attended Saturday’s electoral college, with the youth forming the biggest chunk of those in attendance.
“Our people are crying out for leaders that will truly serve them over and above their own interests. We are those leaders and we cannot fail them. We must and we will provide the leadership and the vision that is so desperately lacking under the ruling party government,” said Hamutenya.
Hamuntenya claimed that the Swapo Party government’s priority is only to embark on grandiose constructions with money that could have been used better used elsewhere to uplift Namibians.
“Comrades, the Swapo Party Government has failed our people and this country. It is clear that only RDP can and will do better. The time, therefore, to win power from the ruling party is now,” he said.
“The ruling party is in total confusion with infighting running high following their electoral college. Well, let us seize this golden opportunity to further highlight the division in their ranks,” he said.