Federal Convention of Namibia

{{Infobox political party |name = Federal Convention of Namibia |native_name = |lang1 = |name_lang1 = |lang2 = |name_lang2 = |lang3 = |name_lang3 = |lang4 = |name_lang4 = |logo = |colorcode =  |leader = Hans Diergaardt (until 1998, his death)<br />Kephes Conradie (since 1998) |chairperson = |president = |secretary_general = |spokesperson = |founder = |leader1_title = |leader1_name = |leader2_title = |leader2_name = |leader3_title = |leader3_name = |leader4_title = |leader4_name = |leader5_title = |leader5_name = |slogan = |founded = 1988<ref name="KDD">{{cite web |url=http://klausdierks.com/Biographies/Biographies_D.htm |title=Biographies of Namibian Personalities, D |last=Dierks |first=Klaus |authorlink=Klaus Dierks |publisher=klausdierks.com |accessdate=9 June 2011}}</ref> |dissolved =  |merger = |split = |predecessor = |merged = |successor = |headquarters = Rehoboth, Namibia |newspaper = |student_wing = |youth_wing = |wing1_title = |wing1 = |wing2_title = |wing2 = |wing3_title = |wing3 = |membership_year = |membership = |ideology = |religion = |national = |international = |european = |europarl = |affiliation1_title = |affiliation1 = |colors =  |blank1_title = |blank1 = |blank2_title = |blank2 = |blank3_title = |blank3 = |seats1_title = |seats1 =  |seats2_title = |seats2 = |seats3_title = |seats3 = |seats4_title = |seats4 = |symbol = |flag = |website = |country =  |country2 = |state = Namibia |footnotes = }}

The '''Federal Convention of Namibia''' ('''FCN''') was a political party based in Rehoboth, Namibia. It was created in the wake of Namibian independence in 1988 by a merger of several smaller parties and gained a seat in the Namibian Constituent Assembly. After also-ran results in 1994 and 1999 it ceased to be publicly active.

==History==

The FCN was formed in 1988 by a merger of several smaller parties: * Baster ''Kaptein'' Hans Diergaardt's<ref name="KDD"/> Rehoboth Free Democratic Party * Democratic Action for Namas (DAN)<ref name=Torreguitar>{{Cite book | title=National Liberation Movements in Office: Forging Democracy with African Adjectives in Namibia | last=Torreguitar | first=Elena | page=484 | publisher=Peter Lang | year= 2009 | isbn=978-3631579954 | series=European University Studies; Political Science | volume=567 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH2RNl42kIMC&q=%22Democratic+Action+for+Namas%22+-wiki&pg=PA484}}</ref> * Liberated Democratic Party (LDP)<ref name=Torreguitar/> * National Progressive Party (NPP)<ref name=Torreguitar/> * United Liberation Movement (ULM)<ref name=Torreguitar/> * Namibian People's Liberation Front (NPLF), which itself consisted of several smaller parties<ref name=Torreguitar/> * Mburumba Kerina's<ref name="KDK">{{cite web |url=http://www.klausdierks.com/Biographies/Biographies_K.htm |title=Biographies of Namibian Personalities, K |last=Dierks |first=Klaus |authorlink=Klaus Dierks |publisher=klausdierks.com |accessdate=2 April 2013}}</ref> NUDO Progressive Party (NUDO-PP)<ref>{{Cite book |title=Africa South of the Sahara 2004 |series=Europa Regional Surveys of the World 2004 Series: Regional surveys of the world |publisher=Psychology Press |year=2003 |page=786 |isbn=9781857431834 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jj4J-AXGDaQC&q=%22Rehoboth+Free+Democratic+Party%22&pg=PA786}}</ref>

The FCN was led by Diergaardt until his death in 1998. After that, Kephes Conradie took over the leadership of the party.<ref>[http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/namparties1.htm "Namibia: Registered Parties"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221052507/http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/namparties1.htm |date=2009-02-21 }}. EISA.org.za.</ref> The party contested Namibia's legislative elections from 1989 to 1999.

==Electoral results== In the 1989 election, FCN received 10,452 total votes, which allotted it one seat in the Namibian Constituent Assembly. In the former Coloured homeland, the party received twenty-nine percent of the total vote, less than the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance and SWAPO parties. This result, surprising as Diergaardt was Kaptein of the Rehoboth Basters at that time, was attributed to Diergaardt's secession plans for the territory around Rehoboth.<ref>[http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,463af2212,469f2e942,469f38c02,0.html "Chronology for Basters in Namibia"]. Minorities at Risk Project. 2004.</ref> Diergaardt took FCN's sole Constituent Assembly seat but soon resigned on health grounds. Kerina took over from him and was elected Deputy Speaker of the house.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tonchi |first1=Victor L |last2=Lindeke |first2=William A |last3=Grotpeter |first3=John J |title=Historical Dictionary of Namibia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mls4H1mnN_0C&q=kerina+diergaardt+%22Constitutional+assembly+of+Namibia%22&pg=PA295 |edition=2 |series=Historical Dictionaries of Africa, African historical dictionaries |year=2012 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810879904 |page=85}}</ref>

In the 1994 Namibian parliamentary election, the party failed to earn a seat and received just 1,166 total votes.<ref>[http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/nam1994results2.htm "Namibia: 1994 Election National Assembly Results"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520005602/http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/nam1994results2.htm |date=2009-05-20 }}. EISA Namibia. November 2007.</ref> In the 1999 Namibian parliamentary election, it received just 764 total votes, ranking last among the parties contesting the election.<ref>[http://africanelections.tripod.com/na.html "Elections in Namibia"].</ref> It did not contest the 2004 Namibian parliamentary election.

==See also== {{Portal|Africa|Politics}} *Political parties in Namibia

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

Category:Political parties established in 1988 Category:Year of disestablishment missing Category:Coloured Namibian people Category:Defunct political parties in Namibia Category:Rehoboth, Namibia