The Republican Party () is a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

. Henk Mudge was its President and its sole representative in the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

. 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 one

seat. The Republican Party was founded by

Dirk Mudge Dirk Frederik Mudge (16 January 192826 August 2020) was a Namibian politician. He served in several high-ranking positions in the South African administration of South West Africa, was the chairman of the 1975–1977 Turnhalle Constitutional Con ...

in 1977Christof Maletsky
"RP plans comeback to politics"
, ''The Namibian'', 4 August 2003. and joined the DTA in the same year.Petros Kuteeu

, ''The Namibian'', 21 August 2003. 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,Lindsay Dentlinger
"'Communication breakdown soured RP-DTA relations'"
''The Namibian'', 24 July 2003. 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. He was re-elected as the party's leader to the National Assembly. In September 2010, the Republican Party was reported to have begun the process of 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. In the event he did not resign as a National Assembly member and party president until March 2011. Teacher and party chairperson Clara Gowases was appointed in his place and gave her initial speech to the National Assembly in April of that year. According to a later interview with Mudge, some Republican Party members were elected to local councils with RDP support at this time. The merger plan was apparently revived in 2013 and again early in 2014. During the 2014 presidential election, Mudge initially urged party members to vote for

Hage Geingob Hage Gottfried Geingob (3 August 1941 – 4 February 2024) was a Namibian politician who served as the third president of Namibia from 2015 until his death in February 2024. Geingob was the country's first prime minister A prime minister ...

SWAPO The South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO ; , SWAVO; , SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former independence movement in Namibia (formerly South West Africa). Founded in 1960, it has been ...

, before deciding to stand as a candidate. He received 8,676 votes (0.97%) and finished fifth of nine candidates. In the concurrent parliamentary elections, the party received 6,099 votes and 1 seat. In the

2019 Namibian general election Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' D ...

the RP received 14,546 votes and 2 seats.

Electoral history

Presidential elections

National Assembly elections

References

{{Authority control 1977 establishments in South West Africa Christian political parties Christian democratic parties in Africa Conservative parties in Namibia Political parties established in 1977 Political parties of minorities in Namibia Political parties in Namibia Protestant political parties Rally for Democracy and Progress (Namibia) White Namibian culture