Geingob won’t mind ballot papers
STAFF REPORTER
President Hage Geingob says he will back whatever voting system the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) decides to use, even if that means regressing to using paper ballots.
After a meeting with the ECN commissioners at State House yesterday, Geingob declined to comment about the lack of a verifiable paper trail when using electronic voting machines (EVMs). He said the issue had not been on the agenda.
Critics have said the lack of voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) functionality will compromise the integrity of the elections scheduled for November this year.
“We don’t want people to cry later on that it’s because of these machines [that they lost]. So, if the people are going to decide they want to go back to the Stone Age, we go back.
“In Africa, defeated candidates always cry foul, always looking for excuses. So if they are going to use that as an excuse, and they want to count for 10 days, we can go [back] to the paper ballot. We will just defeat them.”
He said that was his personal view, but the decision was not his to make.
ECN chairperson Notemba Tjipueja confirmed that no final decision had been reached, but said the ECN was preparing to go ahead with the current EVMs.
She added that the ECN continued to consult with political parties on the matter, and was keeping a close eye on a motion before parliament on the issue of EVMs.
She said the machines would definitely be used for the upcoming by-election at Ondangwa.
Money trouble
About the budget shortfall facing the ECN, Geingob said he assured them that the government would do its utmost to find a solution by the time of the mid-term budget review.
He emphasised that he could make no promises.
“Peace is expensive; democracy is expensive,” he said.
“Any elections should not be in trouble because of lack of money.”
Tjipueja said the recent additional funding of N$220 million, which brought to N$288 million the total available to the ECN for the 2019/20 financial year, was sufficient to cover the upcoming by-elections and ongoing programmes.
She said the ECN had initially requested N$301 million.
Before the mid-term budget review, the ECN would reassess its budgetary situation and make additional requests, she said.
She confirmed that the ECN was preparing for supplementary voter registration in July. The dates would be announced once approved by the president.
The ECN was finalising the recruitment of about 15 000 temporary employees for the supplementary voter registration, Tjipueja confirmed.
On the issue of independent candidates, Tjipueja pointed out that Namibian law does allow independent candidates to put themselves on the ballot.
President Hage Geingob says he will back whatever voting system the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) decides to use, even if that means regressing to using paper ballots.
After a meeting with the ECN commissioners at State House yesterday, Geingob declined to comment about the lack of a verifiable paper trail when using electronic voting machines (EVMs). He said the issue had not been on the agenda.
Critics have said the lack of voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) functionality will compromise the integrity of the elections scheduled for November this year.
“We don’t want people to cry later on that it’s because of these machines [that they lost]. So, if the people are going to decide they want to go back to the Stone Age, we go back.
“In Africa, defeated candidates always cry foul, always looking for excuses. So if they are going to use that as an excuse, and they want to count for 10 days, we can go [back] to the paper ballot. We will just defeat them.”
He said that was his personal view, but the decision was not his to make.
ECN chairperson Notemba Tjipueja confirmed that no final decision had been reached, but said the ECN was preparing to go ahead with the current EVMs.
She added that the ECN continued to consult with political parties on the matter, and was keeping a close eye on a motion before parliament on the issue of EVMs.
She said the machines would definitely be used for the upcoming by-election at Ondangwa.
Money trouble
About the budget shortfall facing the ECN, Geingob said he assured them that the government would do its utmost to find a solution by the time of the mid-term budget review.
He emphasised that he could make no promises.
“Peace is expensive; democracy is expensive,” he said.
“Any elections should not be in trouble because of lack of money.”
Tjipueja said the recent additional funding of N$220 million, which brought to N$288 million the total available to the ECN for the 2019/20 financial year, was sufficient to cover the upcoming by-elections and ongoing programmes.
She said the ECN had initially requested N$301 million.
Before the mid-term budget review, the ECN would reassess its budgetary situation and make additional requests, she said.
She confirmed that the ECN was preparing for supplementary voter registration in July. The dates would be announced once approved by the president.
The ECN was finalising the recruitment of about 15 000 temporary employees for the supplementary voter registration, Tjipueja confirmed.
On the issue of independent candidates, Tjipueja pointed out that Namibian law does allow independent candidates to put themselves on the ballot.
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