Swapo candidates must accept defeat at November’s intra party elections and rally behind whoever emerges victorious to maintain party unity, its leader, President Hage Geingob implored on Saturday.
Geingob said this during the opening of the Swapo central committee (CC) meeting in the capital, where he also emphasised that Swapo is the most organised political organisation in the country.
“Accept defeat, there can only be one winner in all positions,” Geingob said.
The CC meeting is expected to nominate and endorse candidates for Swapo’s top four positions which includes party president, vice president, secretary general and deputy secretary general.
So far, only the position of party president, currently occupied by Geingob, will not be contested at the congress, while the rest are up for grabs.
On Monday, the Swapo politburo nominated Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila to contest the vice president’s position, which will be contested along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Swapo’s Oshikoto coordinator Armas Amukwiyu was nominated for the position of Secretary General.
Meanwhile, parliamentarians Lucia Witbooi, Evelyn Nawases-Taeyele and Kavango West coordinator David Hamutenya was also nominated by the politburo for the deputy secretary general position.
More nominations and eliminations are expected on Saturday.
A maximum of four candidates per position will make it through to the highly-anticipated congress in November 2022, where about 700 delegates will meet to chart Swapo’s leadership fate for the next five years.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
