Minor setbacks mar elections
More voters showed confidence in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used during Friday’s regional and local elections compared to last year’s general elections.
There had also been no serious cases of violence reported, while some minor setbacks had marred the polls.
Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) Chairperson, Notemba Tjipueja, said they experienced minor challenges, including a gunshot fired at a polling station in the Cimbebasia suburb of the Windhoek East Constituency on Thursday evening, while officials were setting up.
The matter is under police investigation.
Tjipueja said a mobile polling station in the Oshikoto Region did not activate an EVM on time for the Tsumeb local authority elections, which resulted in five voters not casting their ballots.
However, the situation was rectified, as they were expected to cast their votes at another polling station.
“We have also received a report from the Okakarara Constituency in the Otjozondjupa Region that mobile (polling station) team 318, which was scheduled to serve about nine points in that constituency, got lost and voting could not commence on time.
The team only started to operate around noon,” she said.
Tjipueja said the situation was resolved, as the ECN managed to put together a relief team, which serviced the polling stations that were missed earlier during the day.
Tjipueja said some of the electorate did not qualify to vote in the local authority elections, even if their voter cards indicated that they could, because they did not meet the requirements for registration as voters.
It was also reported that in the Kavango Region, one of the ECN vehicles was broken into and an EVM was stolen.
However, Tjipueja gave the assurance that the stolen EVM was not part of those scheduled for use in Friday’s elections, but was assigned for voter education, adding that the matter was reported to the police and investigations are underway.
Namibian Sun also learnt that at some polling stations, voters damaged EVMs - either by pressing hard on the buttons or letting the EVM fall to the ground - but technicians looked into the matter and voting commenced again.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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