Staff Reporter
ON the day that the Electoral Commission of Namibia announced the National Assembly candidates for the November 2024 elections, a faction within the Rally for Democracy Party (RDP) launched an urgent application before the High Court, seeking to set aside the decisions made during the party’s fourth national congress, in which Mike Kavekotora was elected as party president in September.
The faction has also challenged the appointment of Kennedy Shekupakela as vice president of the party.
The applicants, namely the Rally for Democracy and Progress, Hinananye S. Nehova, Amanda Titus, Ismael Frans, John Shiwa Nghishekwa, and Asser Sheuyange, took the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia, Mike Ratoveni Kavekotora, Kennedy Shekupakela, Nicanor Njdose, and Cecil J. Nguvauva to court, challenging the results of the National Congress held in Rundu on 7th September 2024.
In the founding affidavit, Rachel Amanda Titus, RDP legal secretary and constitutional affairs representative, said that the application is launched in two parts: the first part on an urgent basis, with a contempt of court order, in which the applicants seek an order declaring the said fourth National Convention that took place on 7th September 2024 in Rundu as unlawful, invalid, and of no force or effect.
The parties also seek a court order declaring all resolutions, decisions, and nominations made during that convention unlawful, invalid, and of no force or effect, and setting aside the election of the third and fourth respondents as President and Vice President, respectively, as unlawful, invalid, and of no force or effect.
They further submitted that, in terms of Articles 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, and 41 of the RDP Constitution, the convention held in Rundu was unlawful and never sanctioned by the Central Committee.
