By Kuvee Kangueehi
Windhoek
In an effort to mend the rift that was caused by the Swapo Party Extraordinary Congress of 2004, the Swapo Party plans to hold a series of public meetings in the various regions.
The meetings will seek to foster unity in the party and will jointly be addressed by party president Dr Sam Nujoma, his vice Hifikepunye Pohamba, Hidipo Hamutenya and Nahas Angula.
The trio of Pohamba, Hamutenya and Angula stood as presidential candidates at the extraordinary party congress of 2004 that is blamed for much of the rift in the party today.
The decision to hold the meetings was taken by the politburo at its last meeting, and the first meeting is expected to be held in Windhoek on July 07.
Before the build-up to the 2004 extraordinary congress, Swapo Party literally split into three campaign factions, each supporting a preferred presidential candidate. Pohamba emerged the ultimate winner after gaining 341 votes while Hamutenya only obtained 167 after Angula lost in the first round.
However, Hamutenya and his supporters have remained bitter and blame Nujoma for their defeat. Hamutenya’s sympathizers believe that Nujoma’s decision to sack Hamutenya as foreign affairs minister four days before the historic election diminished their candidate’s chances for election and was calculated at blocking him.
Despite some pleas from party leaders for the party to unite, division has continued to haunt its different structures. Hamutenya’s faction now claim they are being sidelined in the party.
The planned meetings will provide the three leaders who were involved in the presidential race with a single platform to address party members together and send a message of unity. The attempt also aims at unifying the party ahead if its crucial congress at the end of the year. Many believe that as congress approaches, campaigns could split the party even further. Efforts to contact the party’s secretary general Dr Ngarikutuke Tjiriange on the planned meetings proved futile at press time.