As the country gears up for elections, the journey to parliament is intensifying, with different parties sifting through the best brains to represent them in the legislative body next year.
Most political parties are yet to hold their selection processes, but Swapo set the tone in that respect with the announcement of the dates for its electoral colleges.
An electoral college is an internal election conducted by all political parties participating in the National Assembly elections to draw up a list of 96 members who will contest for seats in the National Assembly.
Each party is expected to submita list to the Electoral Commission of Namibia ahead of November’s Presidential and National Assembly elections that are expected to separate pretenders and contenders. As this race goes into overdrive, local political analysts and commentators are not impressed with what parties have brought to parliament, and how the system has contributed to the poor quality of MPs.
Loyalty or quality
Analysts have raised concern over the nation’s proportional representation electoral system, highlighting its propensity to prioritise party loyalty over quality. This trend, they argue, has resulted in a noticeable decline in the calibre of National Assembly members since the country’s independence.
This, they say, has potentially undermined the effectiveness and integrity of Namibia’s legislative body.
Process
After political parties hold their electoral colleges, their party lists are then sent to the ECN, and the number of contenders who make it to parliament is determined by the number of seats the parties win in the national election.
After the elections, the president is allowed to add 10 people to the National Assembly at their discretion. Even so, political scientist Ndumba Kamwanyah has cautioned parties to ensure they send the crème de la crème of their candidates to parliament.
Comparing to the first crop of parliamentarians immediately after independence, the analyst has noted with concern a decline in the quality of lawmakers.
“We had really quality parliamentarians, who could understand the depth of issues they were dealing with. But then the quality of parliamentarians has declined in terms of understanding policy issues and debates,” he said.
This, he said, is a worrisome trend. Kamwanyah said current parliamentarians have been struggling to pass bills, which shows a lack of confidence in lawmaking.
Over the years, the media has reported on bills and hundreds of motions just collecting dust. Other issues included the absenteeism of Members of Parliament during crucial sittings.
“So, it is important for parties to ensure that the people they are sending to parliament have good character, are competent, attend parliament sessions, and have a deep understanding of public policy processes in terms of lawmaking,” he advised.
Moreover, he said, the country should do away with people who see going to parliament as a job opportunity, and instead elect those with a better understanding of the challenges Namibians are facing, and who actively participate in debates.
Zilch
Adding his views to the discourse, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Graham Hopwood shared similar sentiments.
“One of the more problematic aspects of the Namibian political system is that the representation method used to elect members of parliament tends to promote loyalty to the party over other qualities such as political maturity, or particular skills and expertise,” he said.
As a result, Hopwood said, late president Hage Geingob “effectively used his powers to appoint eight extra non-voting MPs to try and fill some of these expertise and knowledge gaps”. The analyst urged parties to look at a variety of factors when selecting prospective parliamentarians, rather than just loyalty to the party or a particular leader.
This is in consideration of the severe socio-economic challenges Namibia is facing, he said. “It is important to have MPs and Cabinet members who are well-equipped to take on these issues, and are also people of integrity,” he noted, adding that these factors should be stressed when parties hold their electoral colleges.
Veterans reflect
Also delving into the matter is veteran politician and former parliamentarian Nahas Angula. ‘Katusha’ or ‘Citizen Nahas’, as he is affectionately known, was a member of Parliament from 1990 to 2013.
He was also a member of the Constituent Assembly, which drafted Namibia’s acclaimed Constitution. Angula sees himself as a culprit, as he said he is one of those responsible for creating a “flawed” electoral system that allows the electorate to elect parties over individuals.
He said this system deprives the electorate of their right to elect people as their own representatives to Parliament.
“We made sure that the system is inclusive – even for minority parties, so that every party is represented, but we later realised that in doing so, we are depriving the electorate of their right to elect their own representative. This has led to members of parliament going there for the sake of it, and neglecting the electorate,” he said.
Like Hopwood, Angula agrees that during the electoral college, leaders may have an influence over the list to Parliament, which jeopardises the quality of people sent to there, and instead creates loyalists.
“Actually, in a way, the electorate is deceived,” he added.
Ideally, Angula said, political parties should assign their members based on their competence, interest in the legislative agenda of parliament and dedication to the people’s interests. “[And] not just to collect salaries. They should also be ready to learn new things because to make law, you must have a wider knowledge of things, understand the significance of the law and whom it benefits, and make appropriate judgments on the balance of things,” he opined.
Reminiscing and comparing the current legislative body to that of his time, particularly in the early 90s, Angula said as lawmakers, they were more mature, and took their responsibilities with utmost seriousness.
“There were no parliamentarians shouting at each other,” he said, before reducing the current Parliament to a ‘kindergarten’.
“Parliamentarians were never absent from parliamentary sittings because of personal reasons, unless it was justified. There was order,” he said.
Swapo pot
While most political parties are yet to hold their electoral colleges, Swapo has already set the tone in that respect.
The Swapo electoral college, also known as ‘the pot’, is one of the most eagerly-awaited events during an election.
This is so, as over the years, due to Swapo’s dominance in Namibian politics, a majority of lawmakers and Cabinet ministers came from the pot. In a missive dated 14 June, seen by this paper, Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa sets the wheels in motion.
“As part of preparations for the 2024 Presidential and National Elections, the political bureau of the central committee resolved that the electoral college (pot) to produce the Swapo Party list for 2024 National Assembly election will be held from 6-8 September 2024,” she said.
To this effect, nominations for the candidates for the 2024 pot will commence in accordance with provisions of the Swapo Party Rules and Procedures for Election of party office-bearers and party representatives at legislative and government levels, particularly rule(s) 54-55.
“The deadline for the submission of candidates is 9 August 2024 for vetting… The aspiring candidates for electoral college (pot) must provide proof of uninterrupted membership of the party, national identity documents, proof of annual and 1% payments as well as valid voters’ card.”
-ashikololo@nepc.com.na