RDP defeat is a hard lesson

Home Editorial RDP defeat is a hard lesson

THE attempt to subvert the wishes of the voters through the ballot box by which they vote for their political party of choice defies logic.

Voting is a sacrosanct, inviolable and non-negotiable right of every Namibian for which many Namibians paid the ultimate price.

RDP and its cronies possibly sensing imminent political defeat and humiliation tried in vain to have the elections postponed to next February.

But wisely the High Court dismissed their argument to have the Third Electoral Amendment Act be declared unconstitutional.

Equally, the High Court found no evidence the electronic voting machines (EVMs) could be tampered with and the poll result compromised.

But what boggles the mind is the fact that the RDP professed it had empty pockets to conduct a formidable election campaign but mysteriously it has the energy and resources to try and have the elections stopped – albeit with failure.

The other question the RDP should answer is why try to torpedo the elections and yet at the same time participate in the same elections.

And why launch the “urgent” application at the eleventh hour while they had all the time in the world to file their concerns with the High Court?

Why ask for a postponement to February 2015 of all dates? Is there something up RDP’s sleeve?

Have these cases become part of RDP’s strategy, maybe frustrated by the fact that they have been unable to make meaningful inroads politically.

The hare-brained scheme to try and deny over 1.2 million voters their right to vote for their representatives is shabby and contemptible.

It seems the RDP has run out of ideas and will try through hook and crook to disenfranchise voters, even their supporters for that matter.

They should take heed of the recent past that elections are seldom won through the court. Elections are won by formulating populist and pragmatic manifestos that appeal to voters.

One would have thought the RDP and its cronies would have drawn valuable lessons from previous court cases where it also cried foul.

They say once bitten twice shy but the RDP seems blind to this simple but hard fact.

It will also be very interesting what psychological effect the High Court defeat on the verge of the elections will have on the RDP.

With this defeat one doubts if the RDP will remain the same and if its supporters will continue flogging what appears a dead horse.

Like we said earlier, elections are seldom won in court especially if the evidence is illusory.