Who should lead Swapo? With a little over two months left before the much-anticipated Swapo elective congress, the ruling party is yet to declare the campaign window open. There is so much at stake at this year's congress and judging by the all-out jostling for positions at district and regional conferences, the congress is expected to be a major showdown. The question is: will acting party president Hage Geingob ascend to the presidency to complete his political comeback that started with his election as Swapo vice-president in 2007, or are we in for a major surprise? Who will land the vice-president's position as well as the powerful secretary-general post? The party though is way behind schedule when it comes to congress preparations, as not all regional conferences have been endorsed by the central committee. In the coming weeks we are expected to see interesting developments including aspiring candidates finally coming out of their cocoons to campaign for congress votes. Although many leaders in Swapo traditionally like to play their cards close to their chests, there are clearly many influential outsiders pulling the strings and this makes the countdown to the end of the year an interesting journey. The silly season is indeed upon us and there will be outright lies, unrealistic campaign promises and smear campaigns as different factions square off in the run up to congress. It is unfortunate that Swapo has adopted a secretive culture, which discourages mature and constructive debates on issues of the day. Aspiring politicians need to show that they have a credible vision for the future of this country. Although it is up to Swapo delegates to determine which candidate best understands and supports the role of the ruling party, their congress and subsequent outcome affects us all. Our lives and destiny are in the hands of Swapo, without a doubt. We will catch a cold every time Swapo coughs. Our advice to the ruling party is that they should allow candidates to campaign openly and encourage a climate of open, free and fair competition during the “silly season”.