Namibia: Swapo abolishes the initial age limit for the highest positions



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Windhoek – Swapo Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa confirmed yesterday that the proposed age criteria for holding high positions in the party, such as president, have been reduced – a lifesaver for younger members of the party who might have the ambition to argue for such positions.

In fact, the party has placed particular emphasis on the desire to see its young people occupy higher positions, provided they have sat on the central committee and members of the political bureau for a fixed period.

The Swapo Extraordinary Congress, held last weekend, reviewed the requirements of the Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL) for access to higher positions in the ruling party.

"We have defeated all the debates we are talking about, and age limits have been proposed to become President, Vice President or Secretary General, but when the Extraordinary Congress examined the proposed ages, it was discovered that we the entrance of young people, "Shaningwa told reporters in Windhoek yesterday.

"Therefore, what has been proposed has been rejected, which means that young people will not wait 50 or 60 years before becoming president of our party, a reasonable age has been proposed."

Swapo veteran Helmut Angula last year outrageously suggested in a document that was part of last weekend's discussions that members wishing to contest the presidency and vice-presidency of the party should have been members party for 30 years, five of whom must have been a member of the central committee.

Although Shaningwa stated that Swapo's draft constitution was to go through legal drafters before being made public, the document, as revised by the Extraordinary Congress over the weekend, suggests that no party member can only be elected to the party presidency if he is not namibian. birth or descent.

It further shows that such a person must be a member of the central committee and the political bureau for a minimum period of 10 years without interruption, or has been a member of the party for a continuous period of 30 years, provided that the constitution, 30 years from the time a member is qualified to join the party's pioneering movement [and] is appointed by the political bureau or the central committee.

It also shows that all Namibians are members of SPYL, provided that pioneers aged 6 to 17 do not support any political party, organization, movement or entity whose aims and objectives are contrary or contrary to those of the party.

Initially, for a young person to become president, he had to wait until he was 48, from the age of 18, up to the 30-year continuous period required, if a person was a member of the party.

The proposed constitutional amendments now provide that 30 years will be counted from the moment a qualified member of the pioneer movement (at the age of six) is appointed by the political bureau or the central committee.

This could then mean that age has been reduced to 36 years so that one of them can claim the presidency, unlike the age of 48.

It was also proposed that, in the event that the President would be unable to perform his duties permanently, whatever the reason, an extraordinary congress would be convened by the Central Committee within three months. following the vacancy of the post. President expires the unexpired ex-president's term unless that vacancy occurs six months prior to the regular convention. In such a case, it is proposed that the Vice-President exercise all the powers, duties and powers of the President pending the election of the President at the ordinary convention.

The project also states that a SPYL membership will be open to all Namibian youth who accept the goals and objectives of the Swapo Party and whose age is between 18 and 35 years old.

He further proposes that those between the ages of 18 and 35 be the first members of the Swapo party before becoming members of SPYL.

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