ECN demands answers from SA printer over ballot mistakes
#namibiadecides2025
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has demanded a full explanation from its South African ballot-paper supplier, UniPrint Global, after multiple discrepancies were discovered during the final stages of packing and verification for next week's elections.
In a statement, the commission said it detected “under-allocation and over-allocation of ballot papers” to some polling stations, as well as duplicate ballots in both regional and local authority packs.
The inconsistencies affected constituencies and local authorities in Kavango West, Ohangwena, Khomas, Omusati, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Kunene and Erongo regions.
The issues arose despite distribution schedules showing the correct quantities required at each polling station.
The discrepancies were discovered during internal quality-control checks at the ECN logistics store, in the presence of political party representatives overseeing the verification and dispatch process. Ballot papers for unaffected regions – Zambezi, Kavango East, Omaheke, Hardap, //Kharas, and Oshana – have already been dispatched under police escort.
Following the discovery, the ECN said it immediately wrote to UniPrint Global, demanding a comprehensive report “outlining what transpired for each of these detected discrepancies”, along with proposed corrective measures and confirmation of production timelines.
The commission directed the supplier to deliver the corrected ballot quantities “before or on 19 November 2025,” stressing that “time is of the absolute essence” with deployment of teams due on 23 November.
Lost confidence
UniPrint has since committed to airlifting the corrected ballots to Namibia at its own expense, with arrival expected yesterday, 18 November.
Verification and packing will resume immediately upon arrival, again in the presence of representatives of political parties, organisations, associations and independent candidates.
The commission said all duplicate and excess ballot books have been sealed in ballot boxes, with political-party representatives affixing their seals.
The boxes will remain sealed until a disposal date is set in consultation with the political liaison committee.
The ECN reiterated that it remains committed to delivering “free, fair, independent, credible, transparent and impartial” elections on 24 and 26 November.
Parties unhappy
However, the Landless People's Movement (LPM) has seized on the ballot discrepancies to intensify its criticism of the commission.
In a statement titled 'Urgent Removal of the ECN Commissioners', LPM spokesperson Ivan Skrywer said the party has “lost confidence in the commissioners” and accused the ECN of political bias, incompetence and violating SADC election principles.
Skrywer said the party had taken the commission “to task” over the conduct of the 2024 presidential and National Assembly elections, claiming that although the ECN “allegedly won the case”, it nonetheless admitted to “a fundamental difficulty with their system”.
He further accused the commission of “printing either an excess or shortfall of ballot papers for this election” and of refusing repeated requests for clarity. Skrywer also alleged that the ECN barred the LPM from participating in Rundu “despite having issued LPM with a certificate to partake in Rundu”, calling it “a glaring political plot at undue exclusion of a decisive political opponent”.
LPM lashes out
In a series of cutting allegations, Skrywer said the ECN had become “a political party itself”, criticised what he described as its “closeness with the governing party”, and claimed that senior officials were “card-carrying members or sympathisers” of Swapo.
He further pointed to interactions between ECN managers and Swapo representatives during verification processes as evidence of alleged bias.
Skrywer argued that the commission had failed to uphold SADC’s 2015 principles and guidelines on democratic elections, saying ECN actions “question the viability of a free, fair and credible election process on the 26th of November 2025.”
He added that the party views itself as being “revenged against” for past legal battles, referencing a remark allegedly made in court that ECN “raped the Namibian Constitution.”
The LPM statement concluded with an accusation that the ECN has failed to resolve electoral disputes “as they are mandated to do” and includes unrelated claims regarding the deployment of NDF soldiers in //Kharas.
The ECN has not responded to the political allegations raised by the LPM in its statement.
In a statement, the commission said it detected “under-allocation and over-allocation of ballot papers” to some polling stations, as well as duplicate ballots in both regional and local authority packs.
The inconsistencies affected constituencies and local authorities in Kavango West, Ohangwena, Khomas, Omusati, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, Kunene and Erongo regions.
The issues arose despite distribution schedules showing the correct quantities required at each polling station.
The discrepancies were discovered during internal quality-control checks at the ECN logistics store, in the presence of political party representatives overseeing the verification and dispatch process. Ballot papers for unaffected regions – Zambezi, Kavango East, Omaheke, Hardap, //Kharas, and Oshana – have already been dispatched under police escort.
Following the discovery, the ECN said it immediately wrote to UniPrint Global, demanding a comprehensive report “outlining what transpired for each of these detected discrepancies”, along with proposed corrective measures and confirmation of production timelines.
The commission directed the supplier to deliver the corrected ballot quantities “before or on 19 November 2025,” stressing that “time is of the absolute essence” with deployment of teams due on 23 November.
Lost confidence
UniPrint has since committed to airlifting the corrected ballots to Namibia at its own expense, with arrival expected yesterday, 18 November.
Verification and packing will resume immediately upon arrival, again in the presence of representatives of political parties, organisations, associations and independent candidates.
The commission said all duplicate and excess ballot books have been sealed in ballot boxes, with political-party representatives affixing their seals.
The boxes will remain sealed until a disposal date is set in consultation with the political liaison committee.
The ECN reiterated that it remains committed to delivering “free, fair, independent, credible, transparent and impartial” elections on 24 and 26 November.
Parties unhappy
However, the Landless People's Movement (LPM) has seized on the ballot discrepancies to intensify its criticism of the commission.
In a statement titled 'Urgent Removal of the ECN Commissioners', LPM spokesperson Ivan Skrywer said the party has “lost confidence in the commissioners” and accused the ECN of political bias, incompetence and violating SADC election principles.
Skrywer said the party had taken the commission “to task” over the conduct of the 2024 presidential and National Assembly elections, claiming that although the ECN “allegedly won the case”, it nonetheless admitted to “a fundamental difficulty with their system”.
He further accused the commission of “printing either an excess or shortfall of ballot papers for this election” and of refusing repeated requests for clarity. Skrywer also alleged that the ECN barred the LPM from participating in Rundu “despite having issued LPM with a certificate to partake in Rundu”, calling it “a glaring political plot at undue exclusion of a decisive political opponent”.
LPM lashes out
In a series of cutting allegations, Skrywer said the ECN had become “a political party itself”, criticised what he described as its “closeness with the governing party”, and claimed that senior officials were “card-carrying members or sympathisers” of Swapo.
He further pointed to interactions between ECN managers and Swapo representatives during verification processes as evidence of alleged bias.
Skrywer argued that the commission had failed to uphold SADC’s 2015 principles and guidelines on democratic elections, saying ECN actions “question the viability of a free, fair and credible election process on the 26th of November 2025.”
He added that the party views itself as being “revenged against” for past legal battles, referencing a remark allegedly made in court that ECN “raped the Namibian Constitution.”
The LPM statement concluded with an accusation that the ECN has failed to resolve electoral disputes “as they are mandated to do” and includes unrelated claims regarding the deployment of NDF soldiers in //Kharas.
The ECN has not responded to the political allegations raised by the LPM in its statement.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article