Barry Rukoro, the president of a National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) breakaway group, has insisted that his faction’s newly-formed coalition with Swanu will not cripple Nudo.
The marriage will also have no bearing on the party’s operations nor will it affect Nudo’s relevance, the former football administrator said.
Rukoro provided the surety to his followers during yesterday’s press conference at the Swanu headquarters in Katutura, where both Rukoro and Swanu president Evilastus Kaaronda formally announced Swanu’s alliance with the Rukoro-led Nudo.
Outlining his plans around their new alliance, Rukoro said they have been hard at work mobilising their supporters to ensure they go out in numbers to vote for Swanu at next month’s elections.
The new coalition will see Rukoro being number two on Swanu’s list of potential parliamentarians, with Kaaronda topping the list.
Swanu submitted its final list to the electoral commission on Tuesday night, Kaaronda informed this publication yesterday.
“There are those saying Rukoro is Nudo by day and Swanu by night. But let me assure you that this new partnership with Swanu is far more strategic and important than most people think. This is a historic partnership that is aimed at addressing key issues that are of mutual concern to both Nudo and Swanu. Let me also assure you that Nudo will remain intact, and its credibility will not be impacted at all. This coalition will just be for this election season, and if the need arises for the two parties to work together again in the future, we will do so,” said Rukoro, a former secretary general of the Namibia Football Association.
He added: “We intend to enter Parliament to engage in constructive discourse, propose solutions to the challenges facing our communities, and be the voice for parity and equal opportunities for all our people. Namibia is blessed with abundant wealth and a small population; none of our people should face poverty as their default setting.”
On his part, Kaaronda said the agreement with Rukoro’s Nudo is a historic one, as it is tailored to uplift all Namibians from the scourge of poverty and unemployment. The continued landlessness and the unresolved genocide issue are also at the centre of their agenda, he said. “Swapo government’s misplaced strategy of selling Namibia to wealthy foreigners must be stopped immediately, and Swanu will fight against the granting of permanent residency to foreigners, most of whom are Europeans and Americans.
Swapo is the biggest enemy of all Namibians, and through this coalition, we still stop their dominance and looting of our natural resources. Let’s all go out and vote for Swanu, Nudo is ready and Swanu is equally ready to topple Swapo as well.”
-ohembapu@nepc.com.na