By Mathias Haufiku
WINDHOEK- The Swapo Party Elders Council (SPEC) has elected its six representatives that will be thrown into the ‘pot’ during the party’s upcoming electoral college. The college will decide on the list of 72 ruling party members that the party wants to submit as its representatives in the National Assembly.
The election of the six was done at a one-day Central Committee meeting of the elders council held on Wednesday at the party headquarters in Windhoek.
Namibians will later this year go to the polls to elect a government of their choice.
The six central committee members who will be competing to make it high on the list are Rudolph Hongoze, Jack Brown, Peter Shaanika, Loide Shinavene, Mary Masule and Johanna Meyer.
Speaking to New Era yesterday, SPEC Secretary Mukwaita Shanyengana, said the six were selected on a 50/50 basis.
“Now that we have our members who are going to the college, the central committee decided that the time has come for mass mobilisation to commence so that we can win the upcoming national elections,” said a confident Shanyengana.
He said the party’s elderly wing is targeting leaders from opposition parties to convince them to shelve their plans of running for presidency and rather throw their weight behind the ruling party’s presidential candidate, Dr Hage Geingob.
“They [opposition leaders] know very well that there is no other candidate capable or competent enough to become president of this country other than comrade Hage,” he said.
Shanyengana, who by virtue of his position as SPEC Secretary is automatically available for selection onto the party list, said the ruling party, will look to sweep aside any competition during both the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“We want to make sure our candidate gets all the votes, as for the National Assembly elections, the opposition can try their luck there, maybe they can get one or two seats, but we are targeting all seats available,” he said.
The party has not set an exact date for the electoral college, but its Secretary General was quoted in The Namibian last month saying that the party has set 25 to 27 July as possible dates to hold the internal party contest.
“We told our wings to be ready for 25 to 27 July, depending on the president’s schedule,” Mbumba was quoted saying.