Popular Democratic Movement

The party was formed as the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) on 5 November 1977 as a result of the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference held in Windhoek from 1975 to 1977 as a counterbalance and main opposition to the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO).{{cite web

|url = http://rehobothbasters.com/newsdetails.php?id=136

|title = DTA 'Down but Not Out'

|first = Kuvee

|last = Kangueehi

|publisher = New Era (via rehobothbasters.com)

|date = 22 October 2004

|access-date = 24 September 2017

|archive-date = 4 March 2016

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035017/http://rehobothbasters.com/newsdetails.php?id=136

|url-status = dead

}} The DTA comprised several ethnically based parties, including the South West African Labour Party, Rehoboth Baster Association (renamed Rehoboth DTA Party), National Unity Democratic Organization (NUDO), South West Africa People's Democratic United Front (SWAP-DUF), Nama Alliance (renamed Namibia Democratic Turnhalle Party), Republican Party, National Democratic Party, National Democratic Unity Party, Tswana Alliance (later renamed Seoposengwe Party), and Caprivi Alliance Party.

Participants of the Constitutional Conference walked out of the Constitutional Committee over the National Party's insistence on retaining apartheid legislation in the new constitution. Both the conference and DTA were named after the Turnhalle building (German for old Turners hall) in Windhoek where the conference was held.{{cite web

|url=http://www.klausdierks.com/Chronology/119.htm

|title=Chronology of Namibian History, 1977

|last=Dierks

|first=Klaus

|author-link=Klaus Dierks

|publisher=klausdierks.com

|access-date=23 October 2014}}

The DTA won the 1978 South West African legislative election by a landslide, claiming 41 of the 50 seats. This was largely due to "widespread intimidation"{{cite book|last=Okoth|first=Assa|title=A History of Africa: African nationalism and the de-colonisation process [1915–1995]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=suMvEWjK-OcC&pg=PA195|volume=2|year=2006|publisher=East African Publishers|isbn=9966253580|page=195}} and the presence of South African troops, particularly in the north of the territory.{{cite web

|url=http://www.klausdierks.com/Geschichte/120.htm

|title=Chronology of Namibian History, 1978

|last=Dierks

|first=Klaus

|author-link=Klaus Dierks

|publisher=klausdierks.com

|access-date=21 July 2013}} The subsequent interim government, consisting of a National Assembly and a Council of Ministers, lasted until 18 January 1983 when, due to continued interference by the South African Administrator-General the Council of Ministers resigned. On 18 January 1983, South Africa accepted the dissolution of both the legislative and the executive body without elections being scheduled, and again assumed full administrative authority over South West Africa.{{sfn|NDI|1989|p=12}}{{Cite journal

|title=Counterrevolution in Namibia

|last=Owen

|first=Robert C

|journal=Airpower Journal

|date=Winter 1987–88

|url=http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj87/win87/owen.html

|access-date=23 October 2014

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231193159/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/apj87/win87/owen.html

|archive-date=31 December 2016

|url-status=dead

}}{{cite book

|last1=Nohlen

|first1=Dieter

|last2=Krennerich

|first2=Michael

|last3=Thibaut

|first3=Bernhard

|title=Elections in Africa: a data handbook

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9v1MnKYHSLoC&pg=PA660

|access-date=13 September 2011

|year=1999

|publisher=Oxford University Press

|isbn=0-19-829645-2

|page=660}} This void lasted until 17 June 1985 when the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGNU) was installed by the South African Administrator-General. Its legislative and executive actions were subject to South African approval,{{Cite web

|title=Chronology of Namibian History, 1985

|last=Dierks

|first=Klaus

|author-link=Klaus Dierks

|publisher=klausdierks.com

|access-date=18 September 2014

|url=http://www.klausdierks.com/Chronology/127.htm}} with newly appointed administrator-general Louis Pienaar having the veto right on all legislation to be passed.{{sfn|NDI|1989|p=13}} The TGNU was widely perceived as a largely powerless body that sought moderate reform but was unable to secure recognition by the United Nations.[http://rehobothbasters.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=279&Itemid=38 DTA ‘Down but Not Out’] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053312/http://rehobothbasters.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=279&Itemid=38 |date=4 March 2016 }} RehobothBasters.org

The DTA dominated this government, too, albeit not with absolute majority: In the 62-seat National Assembly the DTA occupied 22, and five smaller parties got 8 seats each.{{sfn|NDI|1989|p=13}} On 1 March 1989, the TGNU was suspended along the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 435{{sfn|NDI|1989|p=12}} for it to give way to an independent government, determined by the November 1989 parliamentary elections. SWAPO won the elections, the DTA came distant second.[http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/countryfacts/namibia.html Namibia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101033914/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/countryfacts/namibia.html |date=1 January 2010 }} Tiscali Encyclopedia{{cite news | title=Namibia Rebel Group Wins Vote, But It Falls Short of Full Control | last=Wren | first=Christopher S | newspaper=New York Times | date=15 November 1989 | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE3DE1330F936A25752C1A96F948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all}}

After Namibian independence the DTA lost several of its former affiliates. The Republican Party, the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO), and the Action for Democratic Change all left the alliance in 2003, citing various grievances.Desie Heita: [https://archive.today/20120909074203/http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?title=ELECTIONS_2009:_DTA,_a_political_giant_once&articleid=29075 ELECTIONS 2009: DTA, a political giant once] New Era, 11 September 2009 The DTA's past affiliation with the apartheid government before Namibian independence continues to affect its {{As of|2016|alt=current}} public image.{{cite news | title=DTA intends shedding its colonial tag | last= Muraranganda | first=Elvis | newspaper=New Era | date=12 July 2016 | url=https://www.newera.com.na/2016/07/12/dta-intends-shedding-colonial-tag/}}

On 4 November 2017, one day before its 40th anniversary, the party was renamed the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) in order to facilitate modernisation and to shed its "colonial" name.{{cite news |last=Iikela |first=Sakeus |date=6 November 2017 |title=Exit DTA, enter PDM |newspaper=The Namibian |url=https://www.namibian.com.na/exit-dta-enter-pdm/}}

The party did well in 2019 election, scoring 16.65% (their best performance since 1989) and winning 16 seats in the National Assembly.{{cite news |title=Namibia election: president wins second term despite scandal and recession |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/01/namibia-election-president-wins-second-term-despite-scandal-and-recession |work=The Guardian |date=1 December 2019}}

Upon its foundation, Clemens Kapuuo became the first president of the party, and Dirk Mudge served as chairman. After Kapuuo's assassination in 1978 Cornelius Ndjoba became president on 3 July. The position of the vice-president was established on that day with Ben Africa as first incumbent.{{cite web

|url=http://www.klausdierks.com/Chronology/120.htm

|title=Chronology of Namibian History, 1978

|last=Dierks

|first=Klaus

|author-link=Klaus Dierks

|publisher=klausdierks.com

|access-date=23 October 2014}}

Mishake Muyongo led the party through the early years of independence, and in the 1994 presidential election he placed second, behind President Sam Nujoma, with 23.08% of the vote.Political Parties of the World (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 428. After Muyongo expressed support for Caprivi secession in 1998, he and the party he represented in the alliance, the United Democratic Party, was suspended from the DTA in August 1998 at an extraordinary meeting of the party's executive committee."Namibia: Opposition party reportedly suspends leader", SAPA news agency (nl.newsbank.com), 25 August 1998. Muyongo fled Namibia and was replaced as DTA President by Katuutire Kaura, who called for Muyongo to be brought back and put on trial."Namibia: Party leader says ex-opposition leader Muyongo should return, be tried", NBC Radio, Windhoek (nl.newsbank.com), 31 October 1998. Kaura served for three elective terms. In September 2013, he was defeated by McHenry Venaani.{{cite news

|url=http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=3351&page_type=story_detail

|title=Youth take over at DTA

|last=Immanuel

|first=Shinovene

|date=9 September 2013

|work=The Namibian

|access-date=9 September 2013

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910021907/http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=3351&page_type=story_detail

|archive-date=10 September 2013

|url-status=dead

}}

{{update section|date=December 2024}}

The following parties participated at the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference and subsequently formed the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance:

• Bushman Alliance (BA)
• Christian Democratic Party (CDP), itself a merger of a Christian Democrat Union (CDU, Coloured) breakaway faction, the Progressive People's Party, and the Namibia Volksparty{{Cite book | title=National Liberation Movements in Office: Forging Democracy with African Adjectives in Namibia | last=Torreguitar | first=Elena | pages=483–484 | 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}}
• National Democratic Unity Party (NDUP), composed of conference members from Kavango
• Caprivi delegation
• Namibia Democratic Turnhalle Party (NDTP)
• National Democratic Party (NDP)
• National Unity Democratic Organization (NUDO), withdrawn from DTA in September 2003
• Rehoboth DTA Party (RDTAP), formerly the Rehoboth Baster Association (RBA)
• Republican Party (RP)
• Tswana Alliance, later Seoposengwe Party (Tswana)
• South West African Labour Party
• South West Africa People's Democratic United Front (SWAP-DUF), a breakaway faction of the Damara Council

• United Democratic Party (UDP), member of the DTA since UDP's foundation in 1985, expelled from DTA in 1998 due to its support of the secession of the Caprivi.{{cite news

|title= Caprivi Political Party Declared Illegal

|publisher= IRIN (via afrol News)

|date= 11 September 2006

|url= http://www.afrol.com/articles/21239

|access-date=25 March 2011}}

• In September 2003, the National Unity Democratic Organization (NUDO) withdrew from the DTA, accusing the party of failing to work for Herero interests.{{Cite book |last1=Sam |first1=Moyo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d57ICwAAQBAJ&dq=the+National+Unity+Democratic+Organization+%28NUDO%29+withdrew+from+the+DTA&pg=PA164 |title=What Colonialism Ignored: African Potentials' for Resolving Conflicts in Southern Africa |last2=Yoichi |first2=Mine |date=2016-03-02 |publisher=Langaa RPCIG |isbn=978-9956-763-39-9 |language=en}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite web

|title=Democratic Elections in Namibia. An International Experiment in Nation Building

|publisher=National Democratic Institute for International Affairs

| date=June 1989 |page=12

|url=https://www.ndi.org/files/158_na_election_060189.pdf

|ref={{harvid|NDI|1989}}}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160210223229/http://dtaofnamibia.org/ DTA of Namibia] Official Web Site
• [http://barrysgovsites.blogspot.com/1989/11/namibian-voters-deny-total-power-to.html Reprint of "Namibian Voters Deny Total Power to SWAPO" by Michael Johns], The Wall Street Journal, 19 November 1989.

{{Namibian political parties}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1977 establishments in South West Africa

Category:Anti-communist parties

Category:Apartheid in South West Africa

Category:International Democracy Union member parties

Category:Organisations associated with apartheid

Category:Political parties in Namibia

Category:Politics and race

Category:Political parties established in 1977

Category:Political party alliances in Namibia