Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Landless People’s Movement (LPM) is seeking legal opinion on whether the governors appointed by president Hage Geingob in the country’s 14 regions have executive powers.
THE Landless People’s Movement (LPM) is seeking legal opinion on whether the governors appointed by president Hage Geingob in the country’s 14 regions have executive powers.
This follows claims that Hardap governor Solomon April sidestepped the Hardap Regional Council in the planning and hosting of the Heroes Day commemoration that took place at Mariental on Friday.
Hardap Regional Council chairperson Gersohn Dausab said the party will consult their lawyers this week to obtain a declarative legal opinion on whether the governors have executive powers.
He was speaking during a street-renaming ceremony LPM held to honour local heroes on Friday at Mariental.
“We are challenging their action based on the rule of law and if they think this thing is over because the event is over, no, no, no … we are going to see the lawyers to get a declarative [opinion] whether the governor has executive powers or not,” said Dausab.
Dausab said based on article 108 of the Namibian Constitution, regional councils are conferred powers to elect members to the National Council, to exercise executive powers within the region and any duties and functions as assigned and delegated to them by the president. However, he said, article 110, which deals with the appointment of governors, does not indicate any executive powers assigned to them.
“Since he has no executive powers, I have no problem with him overseeing, as he is the eyes and ears of the president. But when he decided he is going to exclude the regional council, we said no. Because in 32 years there has been no other political party governing, therefore, they must be politically sensitive when approaching Hardap and //Kharas regions,” Dausab said.
“They cannot just decide to bulldoze things here. We will not allow that. Even this property belongs to the regional council, the governor rents here. It is not his office, we are hosting him here and, if he is a problem, we will close the doors.”
Chairperson of the //Kharas Regional Council Josef Isaaks, who is also a member of LPM, said Namibia is a multi-party democratic state established on the rule of law and justice. He said, therefore, no person, political party or entity is above the supreme law of the constitution and should be operating according to the laws of the country.
“LPM never wrote a law, we found the laws here and are just upholding the laws. Therefore, we are not sabotaging anything as implicated by those sabotaging and boycotting. We are just here to uphold the laws.In terms of justice, we are looking at the fairness of the case,” said Isaaks.
The governor said the claimed exclusion is self-exclusion, as he informed the chairperson to come and be part of the planning.
“Preparing for Heroes Day was about patriotism, honouring our heroes and heroines, and was not about power struggles. However, self-exclusion was the order of the day after numerous efforts by my office to invite the political leadership. National days invite anyone already by the importance it has (sic) on the national calendar to be part of hosting it or attending it,” said April.
This follows claims that Hardap governor Solomon April sidestepped the Hardap Regional Council in the planning and hosting of the Heroes Day commemoration that took place at Mariental on Friday.
Hardap Regional Council chairperson Gersohn Dausab said the party will consult their lawyers this week to obtain a declarative legal opinion on whether the governors have executive powers.
He was speaking during a street-renaming ceremony LPM held to honour local heroes on Friday at Mariental.
“We are challenging their action based on the rule of law and if they think this thing is over because the event is over, no, no, no … we are going to see the lawyers to get a declarative [opinion] whether the governor has executive powers or not,” said Dausab.
Dausab said based on article 108 of the Namibian Constitution, regional councils are conferred powers to elect members to the National Council, to exercise executive powers within the region and any duties and functions as assigned and delegated to them by the president. However, he said, article 110, which deals with the appointment of governors, does not indicate any executive powers assigned to them.
“Since he has no executive powers, I have no problem with him overseeing, as he is the eyes and ears of the president. But when he decided he is going to exclude the regional council, we said no. Because in 32 years there has been no other political party governing, therefore, they must be politically sensitive when approaching Hardap and //Kharas regions,” Dausab said.
“They cannot just decide to bulldoze things here. We will not allow that. Even this property belongs to the regional council, the governor rents here. It is not his office, we are hosting him here and, if he is a problem, we will close the doors.”
Chairperson of the //Kharas Regional Council Josef Isaaks, who is also a member of LPM, said Namibia is a multi-party democratic state established on the rule of law and justice. He said, therefore, no person, political party or entity is above the supreme law of the constitution and should be operating according to the laws of the country.
“LPM never wrote a law, we found the laws here and are just upholding the laws. Therefore, we are not sabotaging anything as implicated by those sabotaging and boycotting. We are just here to uphold the laws.In terms of justice, we are looking at the fairness of the case,” said Isaaks.
The governor said the claimed exclusion is self-exclusion, as he informed the chairperson to come and be part of the planning.
“Preparing for Heroes Day was about patriotism, honouring our heroes and heroines, and was not about power struggles. However, self-exclusion was the order of the day after numerous efforts by my office to invite the political leadership. National days invite anyone already by the importance it has (sic) on the national calendar to be part of hosting it or attending it,” said April.
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