July 31 2014 PRESS RELEASE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: NAMRIGHTS’ POSITION NamRights welcomes many of the proposed constitutional amendments to be table today in National Assembly, by Minister of Presidential Affairs and Attorney General, Hon Albert Kawana. These amendments include: (1) the creation of an Independent Electoral Commission; (2) the introduction of a Boundaries Commission; (3) the curbing of the runaway and unaccountable powers of the Office of the Prosecutor General and of the Office of Ombudsman; (4) the creation of an administratively (and hopefully institutionally) Independent Judicial Department (which is de-coupled from the Ministry of Justice); and (5) the strengthening of the Judicial Service Commission and of the Magistrates’ Commission. However, NamRights totally rejects all and any amendments made with obvious ulterior motives and which are merely intended to create even more Ministries and thereby provide for even fatter salaries and other perks for politicians at the expense of the already impoverished general population. The proliferation of politically-appointed portfolios is, in the best opinion of NamRights, merely intended to even more enlarge and fatten the salary-and-similar-benefits-expenditure for members of the Executive and Legislative Branches. Secondly, to afford even more powers to the President and so on would surely and dramatically as well as severely undermine the principles of Democracy and Rule of Law as contemplated under Article 1(1) of the Namibian Constitution. NamRights also severely condemn failure to amend the Constitution so as to completely and entirely exclude members of the Executive Branch from being at the same time members of the Legislative Branch. Clear and unambiguous Separation of Powers of these two branches must be provided for as a matter of utmost urgency! Furthermore, NamRights would also have liked to see and or have Article 95 of the Constitution incorporated under Chapter 3 of the Namibian Constitution. This is where Article 95 belongs in the first place! Phil ya Nangoloh Executive Director
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 13:38:34 +0000