The debate around Swapo MP Tobie Aupindi's motion calling for the lifting of the U.S. blockade on Cuba is set to resume in the National Assembly tomorrow.
Public policy analyst Marius Kudumo says the motion is crucial against the backdrop of the current geopolitical situation in the world.
Dr. Kudumo spoke on the issue on NBC's parliamentary programme, Inside the Chambers.
Dr. Kudumo said Dr Aupindi's motion is one of the most important motions recently tabled in Parliament, adding that it is grounded in strong principles and values.
"And these values are contained in the Namibian constitution. It is about the values of the inherent dignity of every person, democracy, the rule of law and justice for all. If there is injustice in any part of the world on the basis of the principles and values upon which the Namibian state is established."
What is the political or diplomatic significance of the motion? "I think we are seeing the geopolitical situation in the world moving in the direction that we do not want to see," said Kudumo. He added, "If you look at the establishment of international organisations like the United Nations, they are there to maintain peace and to avoid us repeating the mistakes of the past. Because of these geopolitical issues and the unresolved issues of the Cuba blockade, which is actually coming from the Cold War, I think it is important to remind ourselves that there are still people in the world who are suffering economically, socially, and politically."
Kudumo further stated that he does not think this motion could impact Namibia's diplomatic relations with the United States, especially given its cooperation through programmes like PEPFAR.
He added that Namibia and the US have mutual interests in collaborating with each other.
"I don't think it has any implications on bilateral relations, but of course, international relations are fluid, dynamic and unpredictable. Therefore, we cannot state with authority that there are no implications."
Debate on the motion is set to resume on Tuesday.