Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia
Encyclopedia
The Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) is an amalgamation of political parties
in Namibia
, registered as one singular party for representation purposes. In coalition with the United Democratic Front
, it formed the official opposition in Parliament until the parliamentary elections in 2009. Katuutire Kaura
is president of the DTA.
The party was formed as a result of the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference
held in Windhoek
from 1975 to 1977 as a counterbalance and main opposition to the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). Both conference and DTA are named after the Turnhalle building
in Windhoek where the conference was held.
Mishake Muyongo
led the party through the early years of independence, and in the 1994 presidential election he placed second, behind President Sam Nujoma
, with 23.08% of the vote. After Muyongo expressed support for Caprivi
secession in 1998, he and the party he represented in the alliance, the United Democratic Party
, was suspended from the DTA in August 1998 at an extraordinary meeting of the party's executive committee. Muyongo fled Namibia and was replaced as DTA President by Katuutire Kaura, who called for Muyongo to be brought back and put on trial.
In the parliamentary election
held on 15–16 November 2004, the party won 5% of the popular vote and 4 out of 78 seats. The DTA is an associate member of the International Democrat Union
, a transnational grouping of national political parties generally identified with political conservatism
.
The name comes from the old Turners
hall (in German Turnhalle) in Windhoek
, where constitutional negotiations were held from 1975 to 1977. The party was founded in November 1977 by participants in the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference
who walked out of the Constitutional Committee over the National Party
's insistence on retaining some apartheid legislation in the new constitution.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, registered as one singular party for representation purposes. In coalition with the United Democratic Front
United Democratic Front (Namibia)
The United Democratic Front is a political party in Namibia. Justus Garoëb is the party's leader.-1989:The UDF received 37,874 votes in the 1989 election, which elected members to the Constituent Assembly of Namibia. The Constituent Assembly elected the first President and wrote Namibia's...
, it formed the official opposition in Parliament until the parliamentary elections in 2009. Katuutire Kaura
Katuutire Kaura
Katuutire Kaura is a Namibian politician. He has been President of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance since 1998 and was Leader of the Official Opposition from 2000 to 2005.Kaura was born in Ombujondjupa, Otjozondjupa Region...
is president of the DTA.
The party was formed as a result of the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference
Turnhalle Constitutional Conference
The Turnhalle Constitutional Conference was a controversial conference held in Windhoek between 1975 and 1977, tasked with the development of a constitution for a self-governed Namibia under South African control...
held in Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
from 1975 to 1977 as a counterbalance and main opposition to the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). Both conference and DTA are named after the Turnhalle building
Turnhalle (Windhoek)
The Turnhalle is a historic building in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Built during the era of Imperial Germany colonisation of South-West Africa, it has been through a variety of uses, most prominently as the venue for the 1975–1977 Turnhalle Constitutional Conference, a controversial attempt...
in Windhoek where the conference was held.
Mishake Muyongo
Mishake Muyongo
Mishake Muyongo is a Namibian politician and former Member of Parliament who is living in exile in Denmark.Muyongo was born in Linyanti. In September 1964 Muyongo became President of the Caprivi African National Union when its leader Simbwaye was arrested and disappeared in South-African custody...
led the party through the early years of independence, and in the 1994 presidential election he placed second, behind President Sam Nujoma
Sam Nujoma
Samuel Daniel Shafiishuna Nujoma is a Namibian politician who was the first President of Namibia from 1990 to 2005. He led the South-West Africa People's Organisation in its long struggle against South African rule and took office as President when Namibia obtained independence on 21 March 1990...
, with 23.08% of the vote. After Muyongo expressed support for Caprivi
Caprivi Strip
Caprivi, sometimes called the Caprivi Strip , Caprivi Panhandle or the Okavango Strip and formally known as Itenge, is a narrow protrusion of Namibia eastwards about , between Botswana to the south, Angola and Zambia to the north, and Okavango Region to the west. Caprivi is bordered by the...
secession in 1998, he and the party he represented in the alliance, the United Democratic Party
United Democratic Party (Namibia)
The United Democratic Party is a political party in Namibia, representing mainly people from Eastern Caprivi and advocating for the secession of the Caprivi Strip....
, was suspended from the DTA in August 1998 at an extraordinary meeting of the party's executive committee. Muyongo fled Namibia and was replaced as DTA President by Katuutire Kaura, who called for Muyongo to be brought back and put on trial.
In the parliamentary election
Namibian parliamentary election, 2004
General elections were held in Namibia on 15 and 16 November 2004 to elect the President and National Assembly. The National Assembly election resulted in a landslide win for SWAPO, which won 55 of the 78 seats with over 75% of the vote. SWAPO's candidate for president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, won the...
held on 15–16 November 2004, the party won 5% of the popular vote and 4 out of 78 seats. The DTA is an associate member of the International Democrat Union
International Democrat Union
The International Democrat Union, abbreviated to IDU, is a centre-right international alliance of conservative and liberal-conservative political parties. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, the IDU comprises 45 full or associate members...
, a transnational grouping of national political parties generally identified with political conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
.
The name comes from the old Turners
Turners
Turners are members of German-American gymnastic clubs. A German gymnastic movement was started by Turnvater Friedrich Ludwig Jahn in the early 19th century when Germany was occupied by Napoleon...
hall (in German Turnhalle) in Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
, where constitutional negotiations were held from 1975 to 1977. The party was founded in November 1977 by participants in the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference
Turnhalle Constitutional Conference
The Turnhalle Constitutional Conference was a controversial conference held in Windhoek between 1975 and 1977, tasked with the development of a constitution for a self-governed Namibia under South African control...
who walked out of the Constitutional Committee over the National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
's insistence on retaining some apartheid legislation in the new constitution.
Founding parties of the DTA
The following parties participated at the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference and subsequently formed the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance:- South West African Labour Party
- Bushman Alliance (BA)
- Caprivi delegation
- Namibia Democratic Turnhalle Party (NDTP, Nama)
- National Democratic PartyNational Democratic Party (Namibia)The National Democratic Party was a political party in Namibia. It was formed in 1973 as the Ovamboland Independence Party by Silas Ipumbu. It took the name NDP to contest the elections to the Ovambo Legislative Assembly. The party's base was amongst the Ovambo people....
(NDP, Owambo) - National Unity Democratic Organization (Nudo, Herero)
- Rehoboth DTA Party (RDTAP), formerly the Rehoboth BasterBasterThe Basters are the descendants of Cape Colony Dutch and indigenous African women. They largely live in Namibia and are similar to Coloured or Griqua people in South Africa....
Association - Republican PartyRepublican Party (Namibia)The Republican Party was a political party in Namibia, based among the white minority. Henk Mudge is its President and its sole representative in the National Assembly. Prior to the 2004 parliamentary election, the Republican Party was part of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance . It was revived as...
(Whites) - Seoposengwe PartySeoposengwe PartyThe Seoposengwe Party was a political party in Namibia. The party emerged out of the Tshwana Alliance in 1980, and sought to represent the Tshwana community. The party allied itself with the main pro-apartheid party in Namibia, the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance....
(Tswana) - South West Africa People's Democratic United Front (SWAP-DUF, Damara)
- National Democratic Unity Party (NDUP, Kavango)
- Christian Democrat Union (CDU, Coloured)
External links
- DTA of Namibia Official Web Site
- "Namibian Voters Deny Total Power to SWAPO," by Michael Johns, The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, November 19, 1989.