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Home / Nambinga promises to revive RDP’s shrinking political fortunes
Nambinga promises to revive RDP’s shrinking political fortunes
2015-08-17Staff Report 2 Windhoek The newly elected president of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) Jeremiah Nambinga says he is determined to revive the party, eight months after the party fared poorly in the presidential and National Assembly elections. Nambinga, who was speaking during the RDP extraordinary central committee meeting on Saturday, vowed that the party would work harder than ever before to make sure it emerges victorious in the regional council and local authority elections slated for November, as well as beyond. In the National Assembly elections held in November in 2009, RDP received 90 556 of the 811 143 votes cast – making it the the official opposition party. However, in the National Assembly elections held last year November, RDP received a paltry 30 197 of the 890 738 votes cast, meaning the party’s support went down by 60 359 votes. This state of affairs, Nambinga said, needs to change. The party currently only has three seats in the National Assembly, whereas at the height of their ascendancy after the 2009 elections they had a decent eight seats. “Whether our poor performance can be wholly attributed to the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) or partly to our poor performance as an organisation is something I hope we can review objectively. Against this background, we are expected, as we discuss inner party matters, to wisely apply our minds and make decisions that we, as leaders, know are in the interest of individuals,” he said. The RDP has faced serious challenges as a party like any other political party, he said, adding: “We are however grateful that we are still united and ever determined as a political party to forge ahead and liberate our people from the yoke of artificial poverty.” He says a lack of focus and indiscipline will cause confusion among themselves as leaders, which will have a bearing on their supporters and sympathisers and finally give birth to a total defeat that will bring shame. “It is important that we remain true to our main objective, which is to wrestle power from the governing party so that we bring about real change in the lives of the Namibian people.” He pledged to embark on building party structures through which they can successfully achieve their goals. Early this year the RDP central committee axed the entire youth league leadership elected at Keetmanshoop in 2013. At the time, Nambinga said the central committee resolved the long-standing dispute of the RDP youth league by complying with the 2013 High Court judgment in 2013. 2015-08-17Staff Report 2
