Parties denied extra state funds / National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) registered

Political parties have deplored the forecast of State revenue for this year since they find themselves among those having to get by without Additional Budget allocations tabled in the National Assembly last month - a situation they say is sure to put them in a financial bind in the New Year, struggling to maintain their offices, pay staff and meet election campaign expenses through the next financial year. Having appealed to the Finance Minister to find alternative means to top up their annual funding, Congress of Democrats (CoD) leader Ben Ulenga said: "It will be disastrous if we don't get the money. We don't have the money to carry us through until next April. We will have serious problems".

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission approved the registration of the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) faction as a political party. Herero Chief Kuaima Riruako has officially pulled Nudo out of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), which was formed in 1977 by the merger of ethnic political groupings.

However, the registration of Nudo has plunged the DTA deeper into crisis as the party was still coming to terms with the breakaway of the Republican Party. Kaura, who has led the group fighting to stay within the DTA fold, declared that they would challenge the registration in Namibia's courts. He criticised the Electoral Commission for registering Riruako's breakaway faction despite a written submission that the Nudo leadership had decided to remain within the DTA and that no one should be permitted to recognise it as autonomous. (The Namibian, Windhoek)