Keir Starmer defends UK budget, supports tax hikes and welfare reforms, calling decisions fair and necessary for economic stability.

[Namibian] President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for strategies to deal with foreign influences on opposition parties calling for "regime change".

Opposition political parties say they fear an increase in harassment from those who do not support them in the wake of their campaigns ahead of the November elections. This is following a recent video circulating on social media seen by The Namibian last week of a user hurling insults at a candidate of a political party. In the video, an unknown person is heard using vulgar language – “look at this ugly person. I am here waiting for you. Come so I deal with you” – towards United Democratic Front Grootfontein constituency candidate Morits Gaingob, who is vying for by-elections slated for 17 June. Some parties have called on the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to take action. Gaingob has criticised the ECN for not taking his complaint seriously after he lodged a complaint. He says the harassment targeting him is a clear violation of his rights and also seeks to defy his reputation and intimidate him. “I have reported the matter to the police because I no longer feel safe. How can I go and campaign with someone like that out there seeking to harm me?” he says. Gaingob raises concerns as to how many others are going through a similar situation and are not speaking out. Rally for Democracy Party former member of parliament Kennedy Shekupakela says such harassment will intensify in the coming months when election campaigns take centre stage. Shekupakela was responding to questions sent to him over the weekend. “In politics, this is not even allowed in a democratic society. People doing this are supposed to be dealt with according to the rules of law. Doing this damage to a person is wrong and we lose some good leadership because of this,” he says. He adds that there is a need to interrogate why this happened in a small town like Grootfontein. Shekupakela says they will have to pray for a fair election to bring changes to society. He cautions parties to do away with dirty tricks to sabotage each other’s campaigns and to compete in an orderly manner. United People’s Movement (UPM) president Jan van Wyk says harassment has been going on for a long time. “It was also reported by UPM leaders in some areas last year, specifically by opposition parties against each other and I believe it will continue during this year’s elections again,” he adds. Van Wyk says the police in some areas are not responding accordingly to complaints, hence those doing it feel untouchable. Otjozondjupa regional electoral representative Victoria Amutenya says matters of harassment or threats targeted to an individual do not fall under the ECN but that of the police. “This is a clear violation of an individual’s rights and such individuals should approach the police to lodge a case against perpetrators of threats and harassment in order to be held accountable,” she says. She says last weekend they held a code of conduct training at Grootfontein and all parties were made aware of how to conduct themselves during the election campaigns. She urges parties to use the code of conduct as a guiding tool. Otjozondjupa regional police commander commissioner Philip Hidengwa says any threat or harassment directed to an individual is a violation of rights and such individuals should approach the police to report a case. “Whether election campaigns or not, the law applies to all,” he says. The post Political parties fear harassment amid campaigns, call on ECN to intervene appeared first on The Namibian.

Landless People’s Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi has told opposition parties to play politics as they see it for the betterment of the masses. He was speaking on Saturday during the party’s fourth national convention conference at parliament. The convention is the second highest decision-making body of the party and aims to restructure the party and adopt strategic plans to ready the party in terms of policies and political cycle amid the upcoming regional and local authority elections. “Oppositions or not, you got to play the politics as you see it and not as you imagine it,” said Swartbooi. He was referring to Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula’s rejection of the leader of the official opposition position. Swartbooi said if some of the opposition parties do not have the willingness to interpret and see politics as it is, he foresees eventual challenges. He added that the parliament may have a five-year period without a leader of the official opposition. It is his hope that the opposition parties remain united so they can forcefully articulate the interests of the people for the next five years. “If we do not, society will end up suffering. Because whichever gender takes over, as long as that person is from Swapo, nothing changes,” he said. Swartbooi urged party members to remain rhetoric and demand policies that align with what the industry needs. Political analyst Sakaria Johannes has, however, a different opinion on the matter. He says Itula is not wrong to reject the position as it does not exist in the Constitution. “I think people should understand what IPC wants and should stop accusing Itula for rejecting the leader of the official opposition. Itula simply wants the rule of law to prevail and for Namibia to do things as per it’s Constitution,” he says. Johannes argues that there is no information on the office of the opposition and what it does. “It is interesting to hear Swartbooi say the opposition must be smart enough to use the process to their advantage. Are they working for their own political advantage or to serve the Namibian people?” he asks. He says politicians should not do things to benefit themselves but rather do things for the people who voted for them. Johannes pointes out that Article 32, subarticle 7, talks about the president establishing the office of the official opposition. “It’s no more a rule of law but a rule of man, and all those who are talking about it’s not an issue, they simply want to follow the rule of man,” Johannes says. He says in the same way the Constitution was amended to create the position of vice president, he believes Itula wants the same approach for the leader of the official opposition, only then would he accept it as it will be in line with the Constitution. Johannes believes Itula does not want to occupy an office that is not legally recognised. He adds that it is high time Namibians stop ‘going with the flow’ even when it is wrong, and start challenging and bring about an end to illegal systems. The post Opposition parties told to play politics as they see it appeared first on The Namibian.

Former Swanu of Namibia leader Usutuaije Maamberua says he supports Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula’s move to run his party from outside the parliament. He says most opposition parties struggled to survive beyond their first term in parliament, because their presidents spent more time on parliament business than on growing the party. Itula has chosen not to include himself on the parliamentary list. “Most opposition parties fade away by their second term in office because their leaders focus on parliamentary duties rather than party affairs,” Maamberua says. “If you look at the history of all official opposition parties in the Namibian parliament, their leaders have rushed to parliament and, as a result, failed to properly run their parties. This has led to many of them going out of business after their first term,” he says. Maamberua says a clear division of labour is necessary to ensure a party’s sustainability. He questions why a party with 20 members would require its president to also sit in parliament. “If the leader of a party decides not to become a member of parliament and instead focuses on running the party from its headquarters, it could strengthen the party’s operations.” Maamberua says this is a division of labour tactic. “It’s a question of division of labour if the leader of the party decides not to become a member of parliament and only runs the party from its headquarters,” he says. Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani says he respects Itula’s decision. The IPC leader has, however, been misinterpreting the legal framework surrounding dual candidacy of parliamentary structures, he says. “Like in Zambia, like in Ghana, those are stipulated constitutional prohibitions that when you are running for this office, you may not run for another office concurrently,” Venaani says. Itula previously told The Namibian that Article 17 of the Namibian Constitution prohibits dual candidacy. He said the IPC’s deliberate decision to exclude the president, vice president, general secretary, and chairperson from the parliamentary list was to prevent the party from repeating the mistakes of the Congress of Democrats, which became vulnerable and ultimately collapsed after placing all its top leaders in parliament. Itula said the move aimed to hold party members accountable to the leadership, while emphasising he would not ask for their money or the official opposition leader’s money. Itula said the Electoral Commission of Namibia had concerns about dual candidacy. Venaani says these roles are not enshrined in national constitutions, but rather governed by parliamentary rules and procedures. “The United Kingdom, which is a leading example of the Westminster system, does not have a written constitution but still recognises the role of the leader of the opposition through parliamentary convention rather than constitutional law.” He says Namibia follows a similar framework. Venaani says he respects the IPC’s internal decisions. However, he remains firm in his stance that there has been a fundamental misinterpretation of legal and parliamentary principles in the ongoing debate. Political analyst Rui Tyitende says Itula’s interpretation of the Namibian Constitution that a candidate cannot simultaneously run for both the presidency and a parliamentary seat is flawed. ‘IPC’S AYATOLLAH’ He says this is fuelled by Itula’s views of the Presidency as an all-or-nothing pursuit, leaving no room for alternative political roles. Tyitende says this is Itula’s personal political strategy to prevent two centres of power within the IPC. By avoiding the appointment of an official opposition leader in parliament Itula maintains absolute control over the party, he says. “Itula is the Ayatollah (supreme leader) of the IPC and cannot afford to be sharing power symbolically or literally,” he says. ‘BAD MOVE’ Political analyst Henning Melber says Itula’s decision would significantly weaken the official opposition. “I think it just shows a lack of strategic ability to steer the ship that is now the official opposition,” he says. Melber says the official opposition in parliament without its leader physically present makes it hard to set the tone. The analyst says Itula’s voice will not be heard in critical legislative debates. “If there are parliamentary debates, will he remote-control the IPC members of parliament (MPs), or will he stand outside the hall while MPs rush out to get his advice whenever a quick decision or vote is necessary?” Melber asks. IPC spokesperson Imms Nashinge has defended Itula’s decision to forgo the parliamentary membership and its associated perks, such as the official car and salary, at a time when many Namibians are struggling. “How does that help our people who are going through difficult times? That is what truly matters,” he says. Nashinge says the party has deployed capable individuals to the parliament. “Our representatives come from these communities. They understand the challenges people face, they know where they live, and they engage with them. “That allows them to listen to their problems and take their voices to parliament.” ‘LET’S WATCH AND SEE’ Public policy analyst Marius Kudumo says the leader of an official opposition party is essentially a “president in waiting” and should be recognised as such. “The leader of an official opposition party is allocated their rightful place according to the List of National Credence,” he says. Kudumo asks how the situation would be handled when the leader of the official opposition differs from absent party members. “This is a new arrangement, and the best approach, in terms of analysis, is to wait and see,” he says. The analysts say opposition parties serve as alternative governments, offering opposing strategies to challenge the ruling party. Kudumo says if opposition leaders fail to effectively articulate alternative policies and hold the government accountable, their role becomes weakened. “The ability to communicate with authority and clarity is crucial in competitive political environments where citizen engagement is high.” When it comes to opposition leadership, merit and experience should determine who speaks and how they engage, Kudumo says. “But while this may be the ideal, I cannot state with absolute authority that it is always the case.” The post Itula’s decision to lead IPC outside parliament sparks debate appeared first on The Namibian.

Allexer Namundjembo Members of opposition parties have indicated their willingness to take up governor roles if appointed by the president. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is expected to appoint new regional governors in the coming weeks as their terms come to an end. The current governors were appointed by late President Hage Geingob in 2020. Regional governors are direct representatives of the president in the regions and are accountable to the president through the minister in the presidency, as per Article 1 of the Constitution. Their mandate is to ensure effective service delivery and adhere to strong, honest and principled leadership.  They are also expected to ensure maximum output within the context of limited financial resources and promote, facilitate and strengthen measures to implement the empowerment and industrialisation policies of the government. Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) spokesperson, Tresia Hamurenge said the party is open to any appointment that aims to serve the public. “Any appointment that aims to deliver for the Namibian people, we are open to it,” she said. Hamurenge stressed that, for the NEFF, governance roles are about national service rather than party representation. “Once appointed, you cease to represent your political party, and you are there to serve the Namibian people. For us, it’s just about delivering to the people of Namibia,” she said. Landless People’s Movement (LPM) spokesperson, Lifalaza Simataa also welcomed the idea of opposition representation in governance structures beyond Parliament. “We believe it’s a great opportunity to have alternative political parties represented in these structures. It’s part of our commitment to creating the change we aspire to see and implementing the manifesto we presented to the people,” Simataa said. Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) Secretary-General, Manuel Ngaringombe took a more cautious approach, saying the party would only comment once formal consultations take place.  “I don’t want to get ahead of things. Let’s discuss this when the time comes,” he remarked. There are no constitutional restrictions on political affiliation for the position. While governors are usually drawn from the ruling party or coalition, appointments from opposition ranks can happen in the interest of national unity or broader governance goals. While the president holds the ultimate decision-making authority, the appointment process typically includes consultations with regional leaders and councils. Meanwhile, Otjiwarongo constituency councillor, Marlayn Mbakera has confirmed her resignation from the Otjozondjupa regional council. John Likando has not confirmed whether he will vacate his position as Kabbe South constituency councillor in the Zambezi region, following Lucia Witbooi’s resignation to assume the vice presidency, which puts him next on the Swapo parliament list. Byelections are expected to be held in these constituencies, as the term of regional councillors is only ending in November, when the country goes to the polls for regional council and local authorities elections.  The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), through spokesperson De Wet Siluka, confirmed its readiness to conduct by-elections where needed.  The law mandates holding these within 90 days of a vacancy opening up. Maitjituavi Kavetu has replaced Job Amupanda of the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) as a councillor on the City of Windhoek (CoW) local authority council.  CoW spokesperson Harold Akwenye said that a date for Kavetu’s swearing-in will be announced at a later stage.

South Korea's parliament is set to reject President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment motion due to lack of quorum after a vote on a special investigation into his wife.

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