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 (DTA). It was revived as an independent party in 2003 and won 1.9% of popular votes and 1 out of 72 seats. In October 2010, the Party voted to dissolve and merge into the Rally for Democracy and Progress.
The Republican Party was founded by Dirk Mudge in 1977 and joined the DTA in the same year. In mid-2003, the Republican Party revived itself as an independent organization. Hardap Region Governor Pieter Boltman resigned as party leader, opposing the party's moves to separate itself from the DTA, in July 2003, and he was succeeded by Henk Mudge, Dirk Mudge's son. DTA President Katuutire Kaura denounced the moves to separate the Republican Party from the DTA, saying that Mudge acted unilaterally and illegally. Kaura claimed that Mudge wanted to create a party solely for "previously advantaged" minority Namibians, but Mudge denied that the Republican Party would be a party exclusively for whites.
Mudge stood as the Republican Party's candidate in the November 2004 presidential election, receiving 1.95% of the vote and placing sixth.
Mudge stood again for the Presidency in the 2009 election, where he gained 9,425 votes (1.16%), finishing seventh overall. Mudge was re-elected as the party's leader to the National Assembly.
In September 2010, the Republican Party was rumored to be merging with the Rally for Democracy and Progress, the country's largest opposition party. Henk Mudge then announced that he would resign from Parliament on 14 October 2010 and confirmed the disbanding of the Republican Party, meaning that merger is now in full effect.
In March 2011, Mudge resigned as the party's President and fully from the National Assembly. Teacher and party chairperson Clara Gowases was appointed and gave her initial speech to the National Assembly in April of that year.
Famous quotes containing the words republican and/or party:
“The Republican party makes even its young men seem old; the Democratic Party makes even its old men seem young.”
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–1965)
“What is the disease which manifests itself in an inability to leave a party—any party at all—until it is all over and the lights are being put out?... I suppose that part of this mania for staying is due to a fear that, if I go, something good will happen and I’ll miss it. Somebody might do card tricks, or shoot somebody else.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)