WINDHOEK: The ninth session of the seventh Namibian Parliament is set to open on Tuesday, albeit without the usual fanfare.

The nation was plunged into mourning following the death of President Hage Geingob in a Windhoek hospital on Sunday morning.

As a result, there will be no elaborate ceremony for the official opening of Parliament that usually brings together the three organs of the State – the executive, legislature and judiciary. The event is further marked by a military parade and a 21-gun salute.

‘The official opening of Parliament will take place as scheduled. However, given the status quo, the ceremonies associated with this event, such as the military procession, the 21-gun salute, and cultural and school children’s performances, will not be observed,’ said Sakeus Kadhikwa, the National Assembly’s spokesperson.

President Geingob, who was undergoing cancer treatment, was scheduled to officiate the event as per the provisions of Rule 15 of the Standing Rules and Orders of the National Assembly.

That task will now be performed by his successor, President Nangolo Mbumba, who was sworn in as Namibia’s fourth Head of State on Sunday.

The opening takes place under the theme; ‘Improved public engagement to meet the expectations of the citizens’.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency