Henk Mudge

Henk Mudge (born February 18 1952) is a Namibian politician. He is the President of the Republican Party [http://www.parliament.gov.na/ims/pub/biodatadetail.asp?e=66&i=452 CV at Parliament website] .] and is the party's only Member of Parliament in the National Assembly. [ [http://www.parliament.gov.na/ims/pub/getindivs.asp?e=66&en=4th List of members of the National Assembly, 2005 - 2010] .]

Mudge, a White Namibian, was born in Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa; he is the son of Republican Party founder Dirk Mudge. [Christof Maletsky, [http://www.namibian.com.na/2003/july/national/03E8606CFD.html "RP plans comeback to politics"] , "The Namibian", August 4, 2003.] The younger Mudge was a founding member of the Republican Party in 1977; the party joined the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) in the same year,Christof Maletsky, [http://www.namibian.com.na/2003/august/national/03EE91D459.html "DTA threatens to take Henk Mudge to court"] , "The Namibian", August 21, 2003.] and Mudge held a seat on the Khomas Regional Council from 1992 to 2003 as a member of the DTA, representing Windhoek West constituency. In mid-2003 Mudge launched an effort to revive the Republican Party as an independent organization, and he resigned from the Regional Council on June 30 2003. DTA President Katuutire Kaura denounced Mudge's move to separate the Republican Party from the DTA, saying that Mudge acted unilaterally and illegally, and he said that Mudge had "expelled himself" from the DTA through his actions. Kaura claimed that Mudge wanted to create a party solely for "previously advantaged" minority Namibians. Mudge has been the President of the Republican Party, as well as a member of its National Executive Committee, since 2003.

In the November 2004 parliamentary election, he was elected to the National Assembly; he also stood as the Republican Party's candidate in the concurrent 2004 presidential election, receiving 1.95% of the vote. [ [http://www.eisa.org.za/PDF/eu200403nam.pdf "ELECTION UPDATE 2004, NAMIBIA"] , EISA report, number 3, December 10, 2004, page 9.]

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