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Home / Guard Namibian Constitution - Hidipo Challenges President
Guard Namibian Constitution - Hidipo Challenges President
2008-05-14Staff Report 2 "By Kuvee Kangueehi Windhoek The interim president of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Hidipo Hamutenya, has appealed to President Hifikepunye Pohamba to adhere to the solemn pledge of upholding the Namibian Constitution. The RDP has written a letter to Pohamba in response to the confrontation that took place between RDP and Swapo Party members on Saturday in the capital. In the letter which was delivered yesterday, Hamutenya said his party has been experiencing continuing trend of provocation and fascistic intimidation. The former Cabinet minister claimed that it was only due to the discipline of the RDP members and the Namibian Police that the party was able to peacefully carry out its democratic political activity. In the letter, which was read to the media by the RDP interim secretary general, Jesaya Nyamu, Hamutenya said just like Hitler before them, the neo-fascist elements in Swapo Party are advocating that RDP members should be denied water and public tenders and that their businesses be boycotted. Nyamu remarked that only Hitler could have made such a call. ""The nation and the world has just witnessed the disruption of the RDP meeting in Katutura last Saturday in defiance of the police order for the neo-fascist elements to allow that meeting to take place."" Hamutenya reminded Pohamba that the Constitution grants Namibian citizens the freedom to move freely throughout Namibia and thus it rejects the reactionary and apartheid notion of 'no-go areas' in this country. Hamutenya further stated that it is incumbent upon Pohamba, as the supreme leader of Swapo, to rein in the members of Swapo to cease and desist with their anti-democratic activity. ""We will not allow Namibia to revert back to the one-party politics of apartheid era."" Hamutenya said the President has the heavy responsibility not to allow Namibia to slide back to jingoism and political exclusivity, which the country experienced during the apartheid era. ""It is your onerous duty to defend our Constitution, the freedoms and rights enshrined therein and the RDP will stand by you in defence of these noble principles."" Nyamu said the Founding President Sam Nujoma joined the Swapo Party after he was a member of Swanu for reasons known to himself and thus Namibian people should be free to join and form parties of their choice. The interim secretary general called on Namibians to teach the Swapo Party a permanent lesson of democracy and said it is the responsibility of all Namibians to defend the Constitution. Nyamu claimed that the Swapo Party is split into factions and that it is being led by a militant faction and the ruling party is thus not fit to govern Namibia. He added that the Swapo Party has chosen a path of war despite the fact that the war was over almost 20 years ago. " 2008-05-14Staff Report 2
