Rundu, 02 October, 2020 / 8:01 pm (ACI Africa).
Ahead of the November 2020 elections in Namibia, Catholic Bishops in the Southern Africa country have called on eligible Namibian voters to consider voting in candidates who are part of political entities that foster human values rather than mere “deep-felt loyalties.”
“The fact remains that most Namibians still vote based on deep-felt loyalties. Too often, the identifying factors are tribal and community affiliation, race, class position in society, language group or simply an unshakable historical affiliation,” the members of the Namibian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (NCBC) say in their collective statement published October 2.
The Bishops calls on Namibians to “closely and critically scrutinize the detailed contents of the manifestos and messages of the various political parties and associations.”
They highlight some principles of Social Catholic Teaching, which eligible voters in Namibia need to pay attention to.
“We encourage the citizenry to judge a party and/or association on its overall policy regarding the key values of the gospel such as, promoting life and the dignity of the human person, option for the poor and vulnerable, justice and solidarity, rights responsibilities, and care for God's creation in relation to the challenges facing Namibia,” members of the NCBC say.
