Africa-Press – Namibia. THE former official opposition party, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), which emerged weaker from last year’s general elections, has fielded candidates in only three of the five constituencies where by-elections are taking place on Tuesday.
The PDM (formerly DTA), which last year saw the tally of its seats in the National Assembly fall from 16 to 5, has not fielded a candidate in the Kunene Region’s Kamanjab constituency by-election and is urging its supporters to instead vote for UDF candidate Jacobus Namaseb.
“This gesture is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to fostering strong co-governance in the Kunene Region through the collaborative efforts of the PDM and UDF,” said Manuel Ngaringombe, the PDM’s secretary general.
UDF and PDM together control five of Kunene Region’s seven constituencies, while SWAPO has only two: Opuwo Urban and Outjo.
However, the appointment of PDM defector and former official opposition superstar in the National Assembly, Vipuakuje Muharukua, as the new governor of Kunene has further pushed the PDM back in Kunene.
Meanwhile, the PDM also failed to field a candidate for the Zambezi Region’s Kabbe South constituency, leaving SWAPO and the IPC to contest what appears to be a one-sided race, considering Kabbe South’s results from last year’s general elections: SWAPO obtained 2,239 votes, while the IPC came a distant second with 274 votes.
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