Aron Mushaukwa
Katima Mulilo-President of the National Democratic Party (NDP) Martin Lukato says the executive and the legislative arms of government should be separated, “so that the legislature can perform their functions and duties without any disturbance from the executive”.
Lukato believes that having separate centres of power will ensure the two state organs are independent and will have different areas of responsibility, which, according to him, will give legislators more powers when it comes to establishing and implementing various laws.
“NDP supports the two centres of power – namely, the ruling party president will deal with the affairs of the party and its activities, while the government deals with the country’s affairs,” said Lukato.
He said that opposition parties in Namibia, particularly those without seats in parliament, are sidelined. He says their cries to be treated on the same level like other political parties with seats in parliament have been falling on deaf ears.
“I am appealing to the parliamentary standing committee on constitutional and legal affairs to speed up the petition issues, which were brought to parliament three years back … to be tabled in the National Assembly to amend both the constitution and Electoral Act of Namibia.
“In order to accommodate all registered political parties, especially those without seats in parliament, to benefit from the resources of Namibia equally without discrimination before the general elections in 2019,” he said in reference to the fact only parties with parliamentary seats are allocated funding by the state depending on the number of
seats.