Theo-Ben Gurirab

Infobox Prime Minister


name = Theo-Ben Gurirab
| order = Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia
president = Hifikepunye Pohamba
deputy =
term_start = 27 August 2002
term_end = March 19, 2005
predecessor = Hage Geingob
successor = Nahas Angula
birth_date = birth date and age|1939|01|23|df=y
birth_place =
spouse =
party = SWAPO
religion =

Theo-Ben Gurirab (born January 23, 1939) was the second Prime Minister of Namibia, serving from August 27, 2002 until March 19 2005. Currently he is the Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia. [http://www.parliament.gov.na/ims/pub/biodatadetail.asp?e=66&i=439 Profile] at Namibian parliament website.]

Gurirab was born in Usakos in Erongo Region. In exile from 1962 to 1989, he was Associate Representative of the SWAPO Mission to United Nations and United States from 1964 to 1972, then Head of the SWAPO Mission to the United Nations from 1972 to 1986. Subsequently he was SWAPO's Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 1986 to 1990.

He was a SWAPO member of the Constituent Assembly, which was in place from November 1989 to March 1990, immediately prior to independence, [ [http://www.parliament.gov.na/ims/pub/getindivs.asp?e=65&en=Constituent%20Assembly%20of%20Namibia%20November%201989%20-%20March%201990 List of members of the Constituent Assembly] , parliament.gov.na.] and since 1990 he has been a member of the National Assembly. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs from independence in 1990 until he was appointed as Prime Minister by President Sam Nujoma on August 27 2002, replacing Hage Geingob. [Christof Maletsky, [http://www.namibian.com.na/2002/august/news/027F52F716.html "Nujoma shuffles the Cabinet pack"] , "The Namibian", August 28, 2002.]

While serving as Foreign Minister, he was elected as the President of the United Nations General Assembly on September 14 1999, serving in that position until September 2000. [Peter Mwaura, [http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/subjindx/132gurir.htm "Namibian to lead UN General Assembly"] , "Africa Recovery", Vol.13 #2-3 (September 1999), page 4 (un.org).]

Following the 2004 election, Gurirab was elected as Speaker of the National Assembly at the beginning of the new parliamentary term on March 20 2005. [ [http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-03/2005-03-20-voa32.cfm?CFID=241670854&CFTOKEN=31547002 "New Parliament Takes Office in Namibia"] , VOA News, March 20, 2005.]

He received the sixth highest number of votes—377—in the election to the Central Committee of SWAPO at the party's August 2002 congress. [ [http://www.namibian.com.na/2002/august/news/027EBA9751.html "The ruling party's new Central Committee"] , "The Namibian", August 27, 2002.] He was again one of the highest scoring candidates in the election to the Central Committee at SWAPO's November 2007 congress. [Christof Maletsky, [http://www.namibian.com.na/2007/December/national/07D12794AF.html "Swapo big names dropped"] , "The Namibian", December 3, 2007.]

References