ECN flags rising tensions as elections near

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has raised alarm over recent clashes among political players ahead of the 2025 regional and local authority elections, describing the incidents as a threat to the country’s democratic process.Citing media reports of confrontations during campaign activities, the commission said such behaviour “constitutes a serious breach of the democratic principles that underpin our electoral process”.It condemned the actions “in the strongest possible terms” as they contravene the Electoral Act's code of conduct.The ECN reminded political parties, organisations, associations and independent candidates that the code of conduct, issued under Sections 145 and 146 and published on 5 September 2024, is meant “to promote conditions that are conducive to a free, fair and credible election and a climate of tolerance in which election activities may take place without fear, coercion, intimidation, interference or reprisals.”The commission urged all political actors “to engage with one another constructively and to respect differences while seeking common ground for the collective good of all Namibians".It called on them “to recommit themselves to the principles of non-violence and civility".The codeThe Code sets out the rules governing campaign behaviour. It requires parties and candidates to uphold democratic values, respect opponents and conduct their activities peacefully and lawfully.It prohibits political violence, intimidation, harassment, hate speech, disruption of opponents’ events, forced attendance at rallies and misuse of state resources.The code also enforces compliance during the pre-election quiet period and the vote-counting process and warns that breaches may result in penalties, disqualification or prosecution.The commission further stressed that “any form of political violence, intimidation, or related misconduct is strictly prohibited under Clause 5 of the Code of Conduct.”It reminded political players that “the true strength of our democracy lies in the ability of every citizen to freely express their political beliefs without fear of violence or retribution,” adding: “Together, let us uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution and continue working towards a peaceful, democratic Namibia.”Underlying vulnerabilitiesWhile the ECN’s own post-election report on the 2019 elections described the process as “largely peaceful and free from violence and intimidation”, several studies suggest that Namibia faces subtler risks that do not always manifest as open conflict.The ECN report itself pointed to underlying vulnerabilities, including delays in results announcements and logistical challenges that created uncertainty.The Afrobarometer Round 8 survey (2019/2020) found that between one-quarter and one-third of Namibians feared becoming victims of violence during elections, even though most respondents said they felt free to join political organisations (87%) and vote without pressure (90%). Researchers say this gap between actual violence and perceived risk signals deeper concerns within the electorate.The IDS/Eldis working paper, ‘Namibia Elections and Conflict Management’, argues that conflict in Namibian elections often takes less visible forms, such as intimidation, administrative bias, resource misuse and the dominance of a single political force, rather than outright violence. These subtle pressures, the study notes, can distort competition as powerfully as physical clashes.Quiet issues More recent analyses by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) show growing tension in urban constituencies, where the electorate is younger, more competitive and less predictable.A 2024 media study, 'Diagnosing Electoral Violence – Namibia', cautions that the country’s real vulnerabilities lie in structural issues: unequal access to campaign spaces, disparities in political resources and declining trust in electoral fairness.Together, the ECN’s warnings and the findings of these studies suggest that as Namibia moves closer to this month's elections, the greatest threat may not be overt violence, but the quieter pressures that can make citizens feel unsafe, unheard or intimidated.

ECN flags rising tensions as elections near

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-18

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ECN flags rising tensions as elections near

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-18

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