Ballot papers arrive amid discontent

Members of various political parties - who travelled to Johannesburg to observe the printing of the ballot papers for next month’s elections - have expressed frustration with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), alleging they were inadequately supported and marginalised during the nine-day visit.Upon their arrival at the Hosea Kutako International Airport yesterday, the party representatives claimed they were left without sufficient resources and were instructed to "wait outside" for the duration of the printing process.They arrived with 50 pallets containing the 3.2 million ballot papers for the upcoming National Assembly and presidential elections.The party members claim they were required to sign an attendance sheet daily, despite being denied access to the printing facilities, leaving them outside for most of the trip.Intense scrutinyECN faced intense scrutiny during yesterday’s press conference, where chief electoral and referenda officer Petrus Shaama addressed questions while constantly being accused of dishonesty by party members. Shaama maintained that the actual cost of printing the ballot papers was N$6 259 686, which is significantly higher than the N$2 904 000 estimated in the procurement plan. He explained that this figure accounts for both the National Assembly and presidential elections, along with contingency expenses."The money went towards the cost of printing, loading the cargo and transport to Namibia," Shaama stated, noting that the ballot papers were delivered with two Boeing 737 aircraft.In light of the events, Swapo secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa emphasised the importance of maintaining integrity among political parties throughout the electoral process. She urged full transparency and proposed that every ballot book be inspected to ensure the integrity of the elections."Our integrity is a shared responsibility," she said. "I would like to ask that every ballot book must be inspected so that we are assured of their integrity as we move forward."NamibiaDecides2024

Ballot papers arrive amid discontent

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

Please login to leave a comment

Ballot papers arrive amid discontent

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

Please login to leave a comment

Login