Phanuel Kaapama, a leading voice in Namibia's political circles told the Southern Times that many of the country's political parties which are either yet to be represented in parliament, or which have had a relatively low representation, should not be written off in the forthcoming polls.
Kaapama said smaller parties rely on a strong support base from various regions, and are usually satisfied with a seat or two in parliament, compared to others that harbour intentions of taking over government.
It is such a focus, maintains Kaapama, which allows such parties to exert their campaign energy in selective constituencies where they are certain of support - rather than going holistic.
Kaapama, a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Namibia, said such an approach had saved many a political party, quoting the South West African National Union (Swanu) as an example.
"Many political parties disappeared off the scene after the 1989 elections, but a few, of which Swanu is the most
prominent, survived and still continue to add its voice in the country's political arena," he said.
Swanu, formed in 1959 is the oldest political party in Namibia, and is led by Usutuaije Maamberua as its president.
For 1999 elections it formed a "Socialist Alliance" with the Workers' Revolutionary Party and got 0.35% of the vote.
In the 2004 elections it finished last with 3 610 votes and 0.44% of the vote.
Swanu continues to be a radical Socialist and Nationalist party. In January 2009, the party condemned Israel for its actions during the 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict. Calling for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal from the Palestinian territories, the party advocated for the severing of Namibian trade and diplomatic relations with Israel.
According to Kaapama, small political parties' biggest short coming has been the fact that most of them were moulded around a single individual or political personality - making survival an almost impossible feat when such person leaves the party.
"Parties like the NNF, NPF and others were moulded around some individuals who then left the party and such parties never survived'that is the dilemma some of these parties find themselves," he said.
He noted that while most of these 'smaller parties' might not necessarily be vying to take over as ruling party, they could still spoil the broth for established parties by either splitting votes 'meant' for such parties, or chewing into the electorate of the opposition as has been the case of late.
Besides Swanu, the Monitor Action Group is another one of the smaller parties that has seemingly survived the dog-eat-dog world of politics, with analysts maintaining that it owes its success to other established political parties on whose back it has been riding.
At the last legislative elections, 15 and 16 November 2004, the party won 0.8 percent of popular votes and one out of 78 seats.
Other parties which are yet to gain a seat in the country's parliament are the Namibian Democratic movement for Change (Namibia DMC), the All People's party, and the Rally for Democracy and Progress among others.
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