MPs dissatisfied with ECN's work

There was rare unanimity in Namibia's National Assembly on Tuesday when the Electoral Commission's (ECN) newly presented report on the November 2024 elections was debated. Interestingly, the motion to debate this report was tabled by a Swapo member, deputy Speaker Phillip Katamelo, suggesting that the party faction had decided to do so beforehand.The leader of the Affirmative Repositioning Party, Job Amupanda, expressed his great dissatisfaction with the “sloppy work of incompetent people” at the ECN, who, in his opinion, should be dismissed. Nudo MP Vetaruhe Kandorozu criticised the fact that the electoral commission, established over thirty years ago, has been training staff repeatedly since then, and it “seems they are constantly new and inexperienced.”McHenry Venaani, leader of the PDM party, claimed that staff of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission had allegedly taught their Namibian colleagues how to deliberately cause organisational deficiencies, including slow processing of voters and the lack of sufficient ballots, resulting in intentional waiting times. General agreementThe days of waiting for the election results are also seen as manipulation.Venaani complained that the ECN had hastily announced a second election day, but only for a few polling stations. “Ghana has 17 million inhabitants and recently held elections on a single day, but in Namibia, with just under 1.4 million voters, it takes two days. That is intentional,” he criticised. He also complained that, despite the election calendar, the ECN had missed the deadline for tendering for the printing of the ballot papers, only to then commission an allegedly “corrupt company” in South Africa. He hinted that the “omission” was intentional, solely to commission the company in question.Swapo backbencher Tobie Aupindi said in his speech that last November's elections were flawed, but that a way forward must be found to improve the work of the ECN. Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare said that there was general agreement about the delays and other obstacles in the last elections. “We as a parliament should invite representatives of the ECN so that they can explain things for their part,” Ngurare recommended.

MPs dissatisfied with ECN's work

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-05

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MPs dissatisfied with ECN's work

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-05

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