Africa-Press – Namibia. OPPOSITION parties in the country are converging towards a coalition to ‘dislodge’ Swapo in the next presidential election, slated for 2024.
Key opposition figures this week told The Namibian’s current affairs programme, The Conversation, a coalition government could possibly be the future of Namibian politics.
Landless People’s Movement (LPM) parliamentarian Utaara Mootu said the country is desperate for change, and the hope would be for a coalition administration at national level.
She did, however, question whether opposition parties are willing to work together.
“If we want to call for a coalition, we also need to look at the attitudes of the parties. Are we really willing to work together on domestic issues before we go to national issues?” she asked.
Mootu also asked whether the calls for a coalition could just be political gimmicks.
She referred to the current coalition in the City of Windhoek, saying squabbles have shown possible cracks coalitions can create.
“Are politicians really ready to think beyond ideology? You would find, for instance, caucuses in parliament that agree on a certain issue, then seconds before we go in, some political parties would pull out. Of course it is a democracy, they have every right to do so,” she said.
Mootu said opposition parties have to talk about their different ideologies and have a strategic plan if a coalition at national level is of interest to them.
She attributed failed coalitions at local authority level to political parties not wanting to work together, but added the constituencies are on the receiving end of this as no development takes place.
Republican Party president Henk Mudge agreed that opposition parties in the country have to find a way to work together.
He emphasised the need to unseat the Swapo government, saying any other government would be better than the current administration.
“This country is bleeding in many ways, and as far as I am concerned we desperately need change. I think 2024 is too far . . . I really hope political parties will sit down and very carefully consider the role everybody can play in a future government,” he said.
Mudge said the main objective of coalitions should not be for opposition members to obtain ministerial positions, but rather to focus on dealing with current scourges the country is faced with by considering the Swapo government’s shortcomings.
He was very optimistic about the possibility of a coalition at national level, saying if opposition parties are serious about taking the country forward, they can, as a coalition, win the 2024 elections.
“I honestly think a coalition will be formed before the elections, and I think it would be successful,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) vice president Peter Kazongominja said the calls for a coalition in Nudo’s constituencies are growing louder and louder.
“The call is: Can you please come together as coalition parties and come and rescue me from this poverty?” he said.
Kazongominja said people are calling for opposition parties to set aside their differences and consider the people they are leading.
He did, however, question the practicality of the effectiveness of coalition administrations.
Political analyst and Institute for Public Policy Research executive director Graham Hopwood said the 2019 national elections and the 2020 local authority elections indicated that coalitions may only be formed after the 2024 national elections and not before.
“I am not saying this is going to happen, but if Swapo does drop below 50% support, there is a possibility of a post-election coalition in the National Assembly. Parties can then come together, knowing they can outvote Swapo, because Swapo has fallen 50% and they could then get together,” he said.
Hopwood said elements such as ideology and party identity should be huge factors of consideration if parties want to form a coalition.
Swapo could survive through a coalition, he said, noting that the ruling party could form their own coalition-like agreements with other parties.
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