Chronicle Editor
WINDHOEK. – President Hage Geingob last week advised ministers and their deputies who do not support or agree with his Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) that they should resign from the government – as they are “knocking him from within”.
President Geingob also said all Swapo politicians who publicly condemn government programmes, either in parliament or in the media, and who do not want to follow the state and party processes, should also resign from their positions.
Observers said this is President Geingob’s way of getting a grip on his house and getting it in order, to avoid chaos and playing into the hands of the opposition.
President Geingob gave the warning during a consultative workshop with 24 deputy ministers, at which the HPP was briefly discussed.
On Wednesday, he met with regional governors, chairpersons of regional councils and chief regional officers, where he implored them to defend him and his administration while reminding them they are in those offices at his pleasure.
However, some deputy ministers did not take kindly to President Geingob’s “threats”, calling him “autocratic and rude” shortly after the meeting, while others could be seen avoiding a group picture with him.
President Geingob, who read to them their appointment letter, said there are those who do not want to be part of the Namibian House.
“Some are saying the HPP was never approved by Cabinet. It is my programme, it is not a Cabinet programme,” President Geingob said.
“It is a president’s action plan but he is consulting people to buy into it. Mass housing was former president Hifikepunye Pohamba’s action plan, not Cabinet’s.”
He stressed that since it is his action plan, he wants to get as many people on board as possible.
“After all, some are appointed by me including you. So, if you do not agree with it . . . You cannot sit in a place where there are rules, disagree with it, and still stay. You resign.”
He then took issue with ministers who are condemning, seemingly the HPP, in public or in parliament. He advised them to resign and go out to where they will be able to talk freely.
“But when you are in an organisation with rules, you obey those rules. You dis-agree, you leave. And then outside you can condemn. So we can formally confront each other. We cannot be together and you are knocking from within.”
President Geingob said members of the executive must first register their ideas or concerns with their ministerial management committees or through parliamentary caucuses and then appear before priority committees.
“But a minister and deputy minister saying things out there and just because they are free, come on! Where do you get that from? What culture is that?”
“You are on a party list. The party was elected, not you, and you cannot obey party rules?”
He continued: “Or bring it to me. You people come and see me for nonsense – bring those issues here to me. Write to me.”
Meanwhile, Brazil’s 514-seat lower house voted by a 367-137 vote late on Sunday in favour of impeaching President Dilma Rousseff over allegations she hid and manipulated federal budgets during her 2014 re-election bid.
But the latest vote does not mean the 68-year-old Brazilian leader must relinquish power immediately. The Sunday night result triggers a long period of legal challenges and further political instability as the impeachment process goes up to the Senate and an appeals process.
The green light from the Chamber of Deputies came after the move passed the threshold of a two-thirds majority, or 342 lawmakers. It now means the Senate will open a formal impeachment trial in the coming weeks.
Should a simple majority be reached in its first vote, the Senate would take up the measure, and Rousseff would be forced to suspend her presidency for 180 days, during which Vice President Michel Temer would serve as acting president.
Should a two-thirds margin be reached in the Senate’s second vote, Rousseff would be removed from office, and Temer would take over the presidency.
But if the impeachment failed to clear the Senate, the president would be reinstated.
President Rousseff’s chief of staff, Jaques Wagner, said the government is confident that the Upper House will dismiss the impeachment. – New Era/Xinhua/AFP.
In a spirited exchange on the Chamber floor, lawmakers were given their turn to briefly explain their votes.
– New Era.
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