Call for ECN to engage political stakeholders fairly

Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanya has raised alarms over the low voter registration numbers ahead of the upcoming election on November 27. Kamwanya criticised the involvement of Sophia Shaningwa, the Swapo party’s secretary general, in the registration process, suggesting that her presence undermines trust and appears politically motivated.

Kamwanya urged the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) to engage all political stakeholders to address these concerns. He emphasized the importance of increasing voter registration numbers, adding, “The concern about the low registration number is legitimate, and we should be worried about entering the election on November 27 with such a low registration number. The presence of Sophia Shaningwa as Secretary General for the ruling party must be questioned, and I agree with those questioning that.”

Kamwanya further called for transparency and inclusivity in the registration process, “The ECN is supposed to call all stakeholders, including political parties, to address the concern about the low registration number. The visit might seem politically motivated, and it’s supposed not to be done like that.”

While he acknowledged the President’s concern about the low registration numbers, Kamwanya criticized the involvement of the ruling party’s Secretary General, saying, “The way they have done it by involving the ruling party’s Secretary General is uncalled for.”

In a related development, the Presidency shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) that President Nangolo Mbumba received a courtesy visit from the Electoral Commission of Namibia, led by Dr. Elsie Nghikembwa, the ECN’s Board Chairperson, on 16 July 2024. During their talks, they addressed the slow progress in the ongoing voter registration and the current status of the process.

The meeting emphasized the importance of all Namibians becoming stakeholders in the general voter registration to ensure everyone aged eighteen and older registers to vote. Additionally, they concluded that there needs to be an increase in information-sharing efforts to make sure that voter registration information reaches every part of Namibia. The meeting also agreed to involve prominent Namibians to highlight the importance of registering to vote for the upcoming November elections and beyond.