After President Pohamba became head of state, there was a "dangerous trend" prevailing in Namibia, mainly the call for the implementation of the SWAPO election manifesto of 2004 in govern-ment departments and agencies. The president of the small opposition party, Dr Rihupisa Kandando said this call has reached critical proportions to such an extend that several permanent secretaries have submitted copies of the SWAPO manifesto to government officials for implementation.

"The call to implement the SWAPO manifesto as part and parcel of State Policy is ill-advised, illegal, unconstitutional and borders to violation of the principle of multi-party democracy", said SWANU in a statement.

Chapter 11 of the Namibian Consti-tution dealing with Principles of State Policy could not be replaced and substituted with the SWAPO election manifesto without a due legal process, Dr Kandando, president of the opposition party, said. "Either this constitutional provision must be amended or repealed or SWAPO must introduce an Act of Parliament to be called Implementation of SWAPO 2004 Elections Manifesto Act. That is the only right way to do it".

The next step was that, if SWAPO felt that Articles 95 to100 of Chapter 11 of the Namibian Constitution were incompatible and inconsistent with their 2004 Election Manifesto, they would have to amend or repeal this constitutional provision of Principles of State Policy.

Kandando appealed to Prime Minister Nahas Angula as a leader of govern-ment business and to President Pohamba to immediately issue another directive to revoke their previous pronouncement.