National Unity Democratic Organisation

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National Unity Democratic Organisation
AbbreviationNUDO
PresidentEsther Muinjangue
Vice presidentPeter Kazongominja
Secretary-GeneralJoseph Kauandenge
FoundersMburumba Kerina
Clemens Kapuuo
Hosea Kutako
FoundedSeptember 1965; 58 years ago (1965-09)
Split fromPopular Democratic Movement (formerly DTA) in 2003
HeadquartersWindhoek
Khomas Region
IdeologyHerero minority politics
Political positionCentre-right[citation needed]
Colors  Red
  White
  Green
Seats in the National Assembly
2 / 104
Seats in the National Council
1 / 42
Regional Councillors
4 / 121
Local councillors
11 / 378
Pan-African Parliament
1 / 5

The National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) is a political party in Namibia. It has been represented in the National Assembly of Namibia and in the National Council of Namibia since it split from the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (now PDM) prior to the 2004 general and local elections. The party's president is Esther Muinjangue.

History[edit]

NUDO was founded by Mburumba Kerina, Clemens Kapuuo, and Hosea Kutako in September 1965 at the suggestion of the Herero Chief’s Council. It was thus, at that time, an organisation that had mainly Herero followers.[1][2] At the 1975-1977 Turnhalle Constitutional Conference, several ethnically based parties agreed to join the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance to form one joint opposition to SWAPO which at that time had turned the struggle for Namibian independence into a guerrilla war.[3]

NUDO remained part of the DTA until it withdrew in September 2003, accusing the DTA of failing to work for Herero interests. The party then held a congress in January 2004.[4][5]

Leadership[edit]

Esther Utjiua Muinjangue became the party’s first elected female president and the first elected female leader of a Namibian political party when she defeated the Okakarara constituency councillor, Vetaruhe Kandorozu, at the party’s third elective congress, which took place on 25–26 March 2019. At the elective congress, which was held in Windhoek, Peter Kazongominja was elected vice president and Joseph Kauandenge was elected secretary-general of the party. Muinjangue defeated the councillor by 240 to 227 votes.[6][7]

Electoral history[edit]

Presidential elections[edit]

Election Candidate Votes % Result
2004 Kuaima Riruako 34,651 4.23% Lost Red XN
2009 23,735 2.92% Lost Red XN
2014 Asser Mbai 16,740 1.88% Lost Red XN
2019 Esther Muinjangue 12,039 1.5% Lost Red XN

National Assembly elections[edit]

Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Result
2004 Kuaima Riruako 34,814 4.25%
3 / 72
Increase 3 Increase 4th Opposition
2009 24,422 3.01%
2 / 72
Decrease 1 Steady 4th Opposition
2014 Asser Mbai 17,942 2.01%
2 / 96
Steady 2 Decrease 6th Opposition
2019 Esther Muinjangue 16,066 1.96%
2 / 96
Steady 2 Increase 4th Opposition

Local elections[edit]

Election Seats
2004
09 / 303
2010
09 / 327
2015
11 / 378

In the parliamentary election held on 15 and 16 November 2004, the party won 4.1% of popular votes and three out of 78 seats. Herero Chief Kuaima Riruako, the President of NUDO, was its candidate in the concurrent presidential election, placing fourth with 4.23% of the national vote. NUDO president Kuaima Riruako died on 2 June 2014, and was succeeded by Asser Mbai. in the 2014 National Assembly elections NUDO won two seats which went to president Asser Mbai and secretary-general Meundju Jahanika.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dierks, Klaus. "Biographies of Namibian Personalities, K". klausdierks.com. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  2. ^ Hopwood, Graham. "Who's Who, Mburumba Kerina". Guide to Namibian Politics. Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID). Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  3. ^ Kangueehi, Kuvee (22 October 2004). "DTA 'Down but Not Out'". New Era (via rehobothbasters.com). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  4. ^ Political Parties of the World (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 429.
  5. ^ "Namibia: Nudo Elects Female President - allAfrica.com". Archived from the original on 2019-03-04.
  6. ^ Iileka, Sakeus (4 March 2019). "Nudo elects female president". The Namibian. p. 3. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Namibia: Nudo Elects Female President - allAfrica.com". Archived from the original on 2019-03-04.
  8. ^ "ELECTION UPDATE 2004, NAMIBIA" Archived 2008-12-03 at the Wayback Machine, EISA report, number 3, December 10, 2004, page 9.