ECN rubbishes claims of corruption in recruitment of polling officials
Allegations are 'misleading and unfounded'
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has strongly denied allegations of corruption in the recruitment of polling officials for the 2025 regional council and local authority elections, insisting the process was transparent, centralised and carried out strictly according to the electoral calendar.
In a media statement issued last week, the commission said reports circulating from “some members of the public and stakeholders” accusing the ECN of irregularities in the hiring of polling staff were misleading and unfounded.
“The commission operates with the highest level of transparency and integrity and assures the public that internal policies and procedures were adhered to rigorously,” the statement read.
The ECN stressed that only qualified, unemployed Namibian citizens aged 18 and above were eligible for recruitment.
All shortlisted individuals were selected exclusively from the 2024 ECN recruitment database, which consists of applicants who submitted their documents between 18 March and 8 April 2024.
A key requirement was a police declaration confirming that applicants were not active members or office-bearers of any political party, an integrity safeguard meant to uphold the impartiality of election officers. The ECN said any applicant who failed to comply was automatically disqualified.
According to ECN, mandatory training for shortlisted applicants was conducted from 7 to 15 November at clusters across the country.
After training, all candidates were set to undergo a compulsory assessment to prove their readiness to carry out electoral duties.
Fair and transparent operations
The commission noted that some individuals have been appearing at training centres claiming to have been notified of their selection or hoping to be added on the spot.
“Upon verification against the official commission database, it was established that most of these individuals did not apply during the stipulated period,” the ECN said.
The commission stressed that recruitment is conducted exclusively at its head office, not at training centres, and any contrary claims are false.
The ECN also addressed allegations that public servants were being recruited as polling officials, something prohibited under electoral guidelines. It said it “views these reports seriously” and promised to take legal action against any public servant found to have unlawfully participated in the recruitment process.
Reaffirming its commitment to free and fair elections, the ECN said the recruitment process was fully compliant with the electoral operations policy.
“The commission remains fully committed to its mandate of organising, directing, supervising, managing, and controlling elections in a free, fair, independent, credible, transparent and impartial manner,” the statement noted.
#namibiadecides2025
In a media statement issued last week, the commission said reports circulating from “some members of the public and stakeholders” accusing the ECN of irregularities in the hiring of polling staff were misleading and unfounded.
“The commission operates with the highest level of transparency and integrity and assures the public that internal policies and procedures were adhered to rigorously,” the statement read.
The ECN stressed that only qualified, unemployed Namibian citizens aged 18 and above were eligible for recruitment.
All shortlisted individuals were selected exclusively from the 2024 ECN recruitment database, which consists of applicants who submitted their documents between 18 March and 8 April 2024.
A key requirement was a police declaration confirming that applicants were not active members or office-bearers of any political party, an integrity safeguard meant to uphold the impartiality of election officers. The ECN said any applicant who failed to comply was automatically disqualified.
According to ECN, mandatory training for shortlisted applicants was conducted from 7 to 15 November at clusters across the country.
After training, all candidates were set to undergo a compulsory assessment to prove their readiness to carry out electoral duties.
Fair and transparent operations
The commission noted that some individuals have been appearing at training centres claiming to have been notified of their selection or hoping to be added on the spot.
“Upon verification against the official commission database, it was established that most of these individuals did not apply during the stipulated period,” the ECN said.
The commission stressed that recruitment is conducted exclusively at its head office, not at training centres, and any contrary claims are false.
The ECN also addressed allegations that public servants were being recruited as polling officials, something prohibited under electoral guidelines. It said it “views these reports seriously” and promised to take legal action against any public servant found to have unlawfully participated in the recruitment process.
Reaffirming its commitment to free and fair elections, the ECN said the recruitment process was fully compliant with the electoral operations policy.
“The commission remains fully committed to its mandate of organising, directing, supervising, managing, and controlling elections in a free, fair, independent, credible, transparent and impartial manner,” the statement noted.
#namibiadecides2025
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