RDP on Electoral Commission
RECENT ELECTIONS AT TOBIAS HAINYEKO The by-elections in Tobias Hainyeko constituency on Friday, the 31st October 2008, turned out to be a sham as we had rightly foretold. There were many reasons, why we foresaw that the election would be a sham. First of all, all the preparations were thoughtless. The Electoral Commission of Namibia was nonchalant in handling the process.
It was told, among other things, that the residents of Tobias Hainyeko were given neither sufficient information nor enough time for registration. But conniving with SWAPO as usual, the commission ignored the protest of the opposition parties in this respect. The opposition parties advised that in the interest of democracy and good governance the ECN should have seriously and positively considered the issues presented to them by the opposition parties.
In the same typical fashion of not paying heed to the views of the key stakeholders, the opposition parties, the ECN has steadfastly refused to consider our repeated plea with it on the issue regarding the printing of ballot papers by a SWAPO company. It is absurd, if not criminal, that a party which is a competitor in all the elections is entrusted with the printing and handling of all the election materials.
Is this really in accord with the principles of free, fair and impartial elections? Among the issues advanced by the opposition parties is the fact that the supplementary registration process started from the 1st to the 5th September 2008. However, the ECN poster announcing the registration was issued on the 10th September 2008 i.e. five days after the actual supplementary registration had already closed.
In any case, the time allocated for the supplementary registration was hopelessly too short and deceptively announced. We fail to understand why the poster announcing the registration period was issued 5 days after the closing date. In this regard, the election process was treated as contemptuous disregard of democracy in this country. With his typical arrogance, Mr. Ndjarakana announced that the electoral commission could not consider to postpone the election and that the withdrawal of the political parties will not affect the election.
In this regard, he obviously jumped to an early and false conclusion as we were told that more than 24 855 people had been registered to vote in Tobias Hainyeko constituency, but in the end only 5 764 people cast their votes a mere 23% of the electorate of Tobias Hainyeko. The 77% of registered voters that stayed away clearly indicated in this election their disapproval of the ECN-position, thus making the election a complete sham.
We are interested to know what Mr. Ndjarakana and the ECN have to say now? This raises a serious doubt about the ECN’s ability and credibility to ensure a process of free and fair elections in this country. We have recently witnessed the tragic consequences of tampering with the democratic electoral processes in places like Kenya and Zimbabwe.
The incompetent and immature management of this fundamental right has led to loss of lives, displacement of people and destruction of property. They are also ominous signs here in Namibia politically motivated acts of terrorism. Last week alone, we witnessed the dastardly attack on the house of the RDP Secretary for Women Affairs, Agnes Limbo, in Katima Mulilo and the arson bombing of the house of RDP candidate in Tobias Hainyeko, Erasmus Hendjala on the 25th October and 29th October respectively.
In the attack of Agnes Limbo’s house two lives were lost and the house was completely destroyed, while in the case of Hendjala’s house seven people in an unconscious state were taken to the hospital, which included Hendjala’s mother-in-law and the police officer who came to their rescue.
No statement of condemnation has come from either the ruling party or the government. This is a shame and a sin. To entrust the Namibian Nation’s fundamental democratic right in the hands of irresponsible individuals like the current ECN Mr. Ndjarakana, is the height of political irresponsibility.
It needs to be re-emphasized that Namibia’s democracy should not be treated like child’s play, and for the information of Mr. Ndjarakana and the ECN, Namibian people have fought and died to create a conducive environment for the flourishing of democracy in Namibia. Namibians deserve better than this.
It was told, among other things, that the residents of Tobias Hainyeko were given neither sufficient information nor enough time for registration. But conniving with SWAPO as usual, the commission ignored the protest of the opposition parties in this respect. The opposition parties advised that in the interest of democracy and good governance the ECN should have seriously and positively considered the issues presented to them by the opposition parties.
In the same typical fashion of not paying heed to the views of the key stakeholders, the opposition parties, the ECN has steadfastly refused to consider our repeated plea with it on the issue regarding the printing of ballot papers by a SWAPO company. It is absurd, if not criminal, that a party which is a competitor in all the elections is entrusted with the printing and handling of all the election materials.
Is this really in accord with the principles of free, fair and impartial elections? Among the issues advanced by the opposition parties is the fact that the supplementary registration process started from the 1st to the 5th September 2008. However, the ECN poster announcing the registration was issued on the 10th September 2008 i.e. five days after the actual supplementary registration had already closed.
In any case, the time allocated for the supplementary registration was hopelessly too short and deceptively announced. We fail to understand why the poster announcing the registration period was issued 5 days after the closing date. In this regard, the election process was treated as contemptuous disregard of democracy in this country. With his typical arrogance, Mr. Ndjarakana announced that the electoral commission could not consider to postpone the election and that the withdrawal of the political parties will not affect the election.
In this regard, he obviously jumped to an early and false conclusion as we were told that more than 24 855 people had been registered to vote in Tobias Hainyeko constituency, but in the end only 5 764 people cast their votes a mere 23% of the electorate of Tobias Hainyeko. The 77% of registered voters that stayed away clearly indicated in this election their disapproval of the ECN-position, thus making the election a complete sham.
We are interested to know what Mr. Ndjarakana and the ECN have to say now? This raises a serious doubt about the ECN’s ability and credibility to ensure a process of free and fair elections in this country. We have recently witnessed the tragic consequences of tampering with the democratic electoral processes in places like Kenya and Zimbabwe.
The incompetent and immature management of this fundamental right has led to loss of lives, displacement of people and destruction of property. They are also ominous signs here in Namibia politically motivated acts of terrorism. Last week alone, we witnessed the dastardly attack on the house of the RDP Secretary for Women Affairs, Agnes Limbo, in Katima Mulilo and the arson bombing of the house of RDP candidate in Tobias Hainyeko, Erasmus Hendjala on the 25th October and 29th October respectively.
In the attack of Agnes Limbo’s house two lives were lost and the house was completely destroyed, while in the case of Hendjala’s house seven people in an unconscious state were taken to the hospital, which included Hendjala’s mother-in-law and the police officer who came to their rescue.
No statement of condemnation has come from either the ruling party or the government. This is a shame and a sin. To entrust the Namibian Nation’s fundamental democratic right in the hands of irresponsible individuals like the current ECN Mr. Ndjarakana, is the height of political irresponsibility.
It needs to be re-emphasized that Namibia’s democracy should not be treated like child’s play, and for the information of Mr. Ndjarakana and the ECN, Namibian people have fought and died to create a conducive environment for the flourishing of democracy in Namibia. Namibians deserve better than this.
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