AR MP rejects claims Opposition is delaying legislation
AR Member of Parliament Ester Haikola-Sakaria has dismissed claims that opposition parties are obstructing the government’s legislative agenda, arguing that the ruling party holds enough seats in Parliament to pass legislation without opposition support.
Speaking during an exclusive interview ,Ester Haikola-Sakaria said it was “not factual” to accuse the opposition of delaying the passage of laws when the ruling party enjoys a parliamentary majority.
“How can the ruling party say that the opposition is impeding them when they are the majority? If they have the numbers, they can pass laws faster,” she said.
She stressed that the opposition’s constitutional responsibility is to scrutinise legislation and ensure that laws serve the interests of Namibians rather than simply endorsing government proposals.
“We, as the opposition, have to do our work, and we will continue to do our work for the next five years,” she said.
Haikola-Sakaria maintained that the opposition is not opposed to legislation for the sake of opposing it. Instead, she said opposition parties have consistently sought dialogue, compromise and consensus on issues brought before Parliament.
“We are not going to stand in the way of bills. We have tried many times to reach consensus and have made compromises in the interest of the country,” she said.
She also questioned the prominence of government-sponsored business on Parliament’s Order Paper, saying opposition motions and private members’ bills should receive equal attention.
According to Haikola-Sakaria, Parliament functions best when all political parties are given a meaningful opportunity to contribute to debates and decision-making.
She further argued that Namibia’s opposition is made up of several political parties representing different constituencies and therefore cannot be expected to approve every proposal brought forward by the executive without proper scrutiny.
“What the ruling party wants is for us to simply come to Parliament and agree to everything. No, we have a mandate to fulfil,” she said.
Her remarks come amid continued debate over the role of opposition parties in the National Assembly, with the ruling party having previously accused the opposition of slowing the legislative process.
Haikola-Sakaria insisted that robust debate and accountability are essential elements of a democratic Parliament and should not be mistaken for obstruction.
She said opposition lawmakers remain committed to constructive engagement while fulfilling their constitutional duty to hold the executive accountable and ensure that legislation is thoroughly examined before becoming law.
