NSHR slams opposition parties' silence on increased allowances

Articles: NSHR slams opposition parties' silence on increased allowances

Posted by admin on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 02:21 AM

THE National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has lambasted opposition parties for their silence amid recent revelations of increased allowances for political office bearers.
Last week The Namibian revealed that Cabinet approved hefty home furniture allowances for both Government and opposition political office bearers. Describing the Cabinet decision as an exercise in self-enrichment, the NSHR said the fact that the document was classified as 'secret', points to bad conscience and lack of transparency in the governance of Namibia. "When Cabinet sins for its own sake, opposition parties scream to the top of their voices. However, when the sin of the Executive Branch is benefiting them [opposition], they are stone silent," said NSHR Executive Director, Phil ya Nangoloh. "Moreover, deafening silence on the part of 'holier-than-thou' opposition parties over such revelations is even more disturbing." The human rights organisation spoke to at least two opposition leaders who did not deny the allowances, but distanced themselves from classification of the decision as 'secret'. Congress of Democrats President, Ben Ulenga, apparently told the NSHR that the allowances were long overdue as they were agreed upon in 1994 in terms of the Wages and Salaries Commission (WASCOM) recommendations. "I do not understand why this belated implementation is classified as a secret. We in CoD deplore this state of affairs, from which we distance ourselves," the CoD leader was quoted as saying. Vice President of the DTA, Phillemon Moongo, who apparently spoke to the NSHR in his personal capacity, stated that Cabinet alone must bear full responsibility for keeping the matter from the knowledge of the general public. The NSHR maintains that it was 'unscrupulous' for opposition office bearers to accept such 'immoral' increases as they came at the time when the majority of Namibians are facing more serious socio-economic afflictions. The organisation also lashed out at the Windhoek City Council for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on projects such as the Katutura stadium and extension of the Robert Mugabe Avenue. It charged that the City Council has allocated very little resources toward the improvement of the living conditions of thousands of its impoverished residents who live in "undignified" conditions in informal settlements.

· 103 Reads ·