The National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) is a political party in

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

. It has been represented in the

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and in the

National Council of Namibia The National Council is the upper chamber of Namibia's bicameral Parliament. It reviews bills passed by the lower chamber and makes recommendations for legislation of regional concern to the lower chamber. The 42 National Council members are i ...

since it split from the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (now PDM) prior to the 2004

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and

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elections. The party's president is Esther Muinjangue.

History

NUDO was founded by Mburumba Kerina, Clemens Kapuuo, and Hosea Kutako in September 1965 at the suggestion of the Herero Chiefs' Council. It was thus, at that time, an organisation that had mainly Herero followers. 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 The South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO ; , SWAVO; , SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa). Founded in 1960, it has been ...

which at that time had turned the struggle for Namibian independence into a guerrilla war. 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.

Leadership

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 Windhoek (; ; ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek, which ...

, Peter Kazongominja was elected vice president and Josef Kauandenge was elected secretary-general of the party. Muinjangue defeated the councillor by 240 to 227 votes.

Election results

Presidential elections

National Assembly elections

Local elections

In the

parliamentary election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...

held on 15 and 16 November 2004, the party won 4.1% of popular vote 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. Riruako died on 2 June 2014, and was succeeded as NUDO president by Asser Mbai. In the 2014 National Assembly elections NUDO won two seats which went to president Asser Mbai and secretary-general Meundju Jahanika."ELECTION UPDATE 2004, NAMIBIA"
, EISA report, number 3, December 10, 2004, page 9.

References

{{Namibian political parties 1965 establishments in South West Africa Political parties established in 1965 Political parties in Namibia Political parties of minorities in Namibia Herero Chiefs' Council affiliate