2015-01-23Mathias Haufiku By Mathias Haufiku WINDHOEK - The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) will hold its national executive committee meeting tomorrow, a platform at which some members intend to pass a vote of no confidence in party president Hidipo Hamutenya. Leading the call for Hamutenya to step down is party vice-president, Steve Bezuidenhoudt, who argued in recent weeks that Hamutenya’s stepping down would pave way for the revival of the party. RDP lost five of its eight parliamentary seats following a dismal show in last year’s general elections. The party lost its official opposition status to DTA. New Era sent Hamutenya a string of questions regarding the matter last week already but he avoided discussing the matter. “We [RDP] have a meeting this week of the NEC (national executive committee) and from there a statement by HH will be given on the matters in question. He doesn’t want to make any statements in the media until he has addressed the matter at the right platform, which is the NEC,” Hamutenya’s son, Kela, told New Era in response. Kela confirmed that calls for his father to step down would be “confronted” at tomorrow’s meeting, after which the way forward will be mapped out. New Era wanted to know whether any action will be taken against Bezuidenhoudt for his public utterances and whether there were any plans from Hamutenya’s side to step down. The party will convene for its monthly national executive committee tomorrow in Windhoek where the issue of Bezuidenhoudt and Hamutenya might arise. On several occasions over the last two months, Bezuidenhoudt has gone on record appealing for Hamutenya to step down so that someone ‘energetic’ can take over. Bezuidenhoudt, who will once more accompany Hamutenya to the National Assembly, is adamant that the prospects of the party are not promising with Hamutenya steering the ship. But Hamutenya, who in the past served for 14 years in the country’s Cabinet, continues to ignore calls to relinquish power. “Apart from being afraid to publicly call for the president’s resignation, many people in the party concur with my calls that the president [Hamutenya] should step aside so that someone else, younger, can come in with new ideas to salvage the party,” said Bezuidenhoudt at the time. “If someone brings it up, we will discuss it,” said RDP Secretary General, Mike Kavekotora He said NEC members would discuss the party’s 2014 general elections performance where it lost its opposition status and set a date for the next central committee meeting. The meeting will also discuss the party’s way forward now that it has to get used to occupying the third spot. 2015-01-23Mathias Haufiku
