EDITORIAL: ECN’s silence on dual candidacy is dangerous

Namibians are no strangers to uncertainty, but when it comes to something as fundamental as our electoral process, the dark should never be our default setting.Yet here we are, days before the swearing-in of parliament, still waiting for answers on the legality of dual candidacy for the presidency and parliament. And where is the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) in all of this? Hiding behind a wall of silence, clutching a legal opinion from the attorney general as if it were a state secret.This is not just frustrating – it is unacceptable. The ECN is a public institution, funded by taxpayers, entrusted with safeguarding democracy, not keeping it under lock and key. If the legal opinion confirms that dual candidacy is above board, why not say so? But if it suggests that past elections were conducted on shaky legal ground, then we are looking at a much bigger problem – one that could shake public trust to its core.Yet, instead of transparency, the ECN has chosen arrogance. Hiding behind “lawyer-client confidentiality” in a matter of national importance is both cowardly and suspicious. This is not a private legal dispute – it’s about the integrity of our elections, the rights of political candidates, and the trust of every Namibian who casts a vote.The danger in all of this is not just that we are left in the dark but that this silence breeds speculation, doubt and, ultimately, disillusionment with the electoral process. And when citizens lose faith in elections, democracy itself stands on shaky ground.Namibians are not asking for favours. They demand, and deserve, clarity. The ECN does not own our democracy – it serves it. And the time to start acting like it is now.

EDITORIAL: ECN’s silence on dual candidacy is dangerous

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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EDITORIAL: ECN’s silence on dual candidacy is dangerous

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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