News and Information

NEW PARTY REGISTRATION APPROVED BUT NO SUBMISSION (2004-10-25)
October 28, 2004
By Risco Lumamezi

The National Democratic Party, which have been approved by the electoral Commission of Namibia to stand a chance of getting a registration Certificate that supposed to field its Candidates on the Regional Elections only, will not make it as the party failed to submit its list of candidates on a dying minute.

Martin Lukato the president of the party said in the interview over the weekend that although his Party despite some delays in changing the name of the party by the ECN this have showed that his party would not contest in the presidential and Parliamentary elections as it supposed to be.
Lukato said that he was called by the electoral Commission to submit the list of candidates to stand for the elections; however, he was only surprised to hear statements from the Electoral Commission that they should hand over their list on 22 October last Friday.

“we arrived early at their office, but we were told to wait until 10h 45 is when they said we should go to the ministry of finance to buy some revenue stamps whilst the deadline was 11hrs we went to buy stamps when we came back they said they have closed, they totally refused us to furnish our list of candidates.” Said Lukato.

According to him the electoral commission acted unfairly as since last year they were requesting lot of things like changing the name ‘Caprivi’ that is a secessionist party.
However, NDP president Martin Lukato said in a recent interview that he had received a letter of recognition from the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) this month which state the party to go for poll,

Though the party missed another chance to contest on the presidential elections, which Lukato the party’s president was supposed to stand for, the deadline for presidential candidate passed already on 30 September 2004.

The party was having a last chance to go for regional elections but lost the chance again on a dying minute last Friday .

The party was supposed to furnish the electoral commission the list of candidates to stand for regional elections, the list consisted of Vincent Muhinda for Katima Mulilo Rural constituency, Katima Urban is Joseph Simataa former UNAM BA Student,Oldrine Mahulilo for Sibbinda, Kabbe Clarinah Likokoto ,Mukwe a Constituency in Kavango Region was Bernard Rongwani a former primary teacher ( SON speaking) in the western Caprivi.

Whilst the party President Martin Lukato who failed to contest on the presidential elections due to the deadline which is in accordance to applicable legislation, will contest in Linyanti Constituency the southern part of Caprivi.

However, the party executive which is currently in Windhoek this weekend have been seeking for legal assistance which resulted the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) to fund the legal proceeding to testify why the electoral commission did not accept the party to go for elections.

Earlier Director Philemon Kanime asked him to furnish the electoral body information on the CNDP ahead of its registration as a political party.
Lukato narrate that his party will stand for regional elections only as stated by the party’s manifesto and that the aims and objectives of his party are to advocate for federal system.

“I like federal state because it favours all people to receive equal share” he said.
He however stressed that unitary system discriminate other people when it comes to equal re-distribution of resources to different regions of the country.

In July, this year, Lukato allegedly said the Electoral Commission of Namibia was refusing to register on grounds that the name advocated secessionism.

Lukato is a former senior police officer. Among the questions, he received from the ECN so far; Lukato said there was one that queried if his party was of Caprivi or of Namibia.

Its leadership consists of Lukato as president, Fredius Bulunzi as vice-president, Event Linyando as secretary general and B.K Lielelo as the party’s treasurer. Borniface Libanda is tasked with national information and publicity while the party’s national mobilisor is Clarrinah Likokoto.
NDP’s manifesto describes its principles and philosophy in Article 3 that “NDP Holds high of the following aspects as valued by a democratic society: Social welfare, free and compulsory primary education, spirit of comradeship and solidarity, Rule of Law, A society free from corrupt practices, Support of human rights respect, Support of human development and prosperity of all races, The poor, aged, disabled, the skilled should all find a place to survive.”


Source: Caprivi vision


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