APP drags ECN to court again
Kenya Kambowe
Rundu
The All People’s Party (APP) has dragged the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to the Electoral Court again - this time demanding that they be granted access to the 25 November 2020 Ndonga Linena constituency election materials after the initial application was struck off the roll last month.
The APP is adamant that its candidate, Djami Daniel, should have been declared the winner as it claims party agents observed ballots cast in favour of their candidate declared as spoilt.
A total of 57 votes were declared spoilt when the ECN announced the final results for Ndonga Linena, which saw Daniel announced as the runner-up to Swapo’s candidate, Michael Kampota, who won by a mere 12 votes.
Recount scrapped
Last month, Namibian Sun reported that the Electoral Court provisionally struck the matter off the roll after Deputy Judge President Hosea Angula found that the order for the demand of a recount of the spoilt ballots could not be granted for a number of reasons.
During his judgment on 23 March, Angula argued that the dispute is not a counting problem but whether the rejected ballot papers bear clear writings or marks indicating respective voters’ choices.
Angula then advised the applicant that they rather approach the court seeking a different relief such as having access to the election materials.
It is on that basis that the APP - through its lawyer Henry Shimutwikeni - last Thursday approached the Electoral Court demanding access to the spoilt ballots in question.
The APP has given the respondents until 29 April to respond.
ECN chairperson Notemba Tjipueja and chief electoral officer Theo Mujoro as well as political parties Swapo, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) are the respondents along with urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni.
[email protected]
Rundu
The All People’s Party (APP) has dragged the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to the Electoral Court again - this time demanding that they be granted access to the 25 November 2020 Ndonga Linena constituency election materials after the initial application was struck off the roll last month.
The APP is adamant that its candidate, Djami Daniel, should have been declared the winner as it claims party agents observed ballots cast in favour of their candidate declared as spoilt.
A total of 57 votes were declared spoilt when the ECN announced the final results for Ndonga Linena, which saw Daniel announced as the runner-up to Swapo’s candidate, Michael Kampota, who won by a mere 12 votes.
Recount scrapped
Last month, Namibian Sun reported that the Electoral Court provisionally struck the matter off the roll after Deputy Judge President Hosea Angula found that the order for the demand of a recount of the spoilt ballots could not be granted for a number of reasons.
During his judgment on 23 March, Angula argued that the dispute is not a counting problem but whether the rejected ballot papers bear clear writings or marks indicating respective voters’ choices.
Angula then advised the applicant that they rather approach the court seeking a different relief such as having access to the election materials.
It is on that basis that the APP - through its lawyer Henry Shimutwikeni - last Thursday approached the Electoral Court demanding access to the spoilt ballots in question.
The APP has given the respondents until 29 April to respond.
ECN chairperson Notemba Tjipueja and chief electoral officer Theo Mujoro as well as political parties Swapo, the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) are the respondents along with urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni.
[email protected]
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