Namibia has a living, functional and effective democracy where all her citizens have the right to join political parties of their choice, provided that such political parties adhere to the constitution, the laws and the democratic rules of the country.
However, the motivating factor in joining a particular political party is the ideological principles and beliefs of such a political party as well as its unique political, economic and social agenda, which makes it different from other political parties. It is indeed a fact that there are many different political parties in the country and that situation suggests that all of such parties are/or supposed to have varied ideological principles and different political, economic and social agendas that are supposed to be distinct from each other.
Ironically and amusingly, I read in the local newspapers that some people of our country are apparently in support of the idea of uniting all these varied opposition political parties with the sole intention of such variety of political parties to take over power as a monolithic body from Swapo and run the state and its government.
Although it is their right to have political ambitions to be rulers of their country it amazes that the main motivating factor of some of the people who are perceiving the idea of unity among varied political parties is just to take over power from Swapo, without them considering the negative consequences of the divergences of ideological principles and polyvalence of economic and political agendas of such conglomeration of political parties.
Forming a conglomeration of political parties for the sake of just taking power from Swapo raises some questions. For example, which party’s ideologies will be the basis for the administrative and ideological programme of the supposed new government?
Also, where is the guarantee that these numerous parties with varying political agendas will work together as one political power?
Where is the assurance that these numerous parties will not start fighting among themselves after coming to power and therefore destabilise the country?
Dr Ngarikutuke Tjiriange
Windhoek