Several opposition parties have voiced strong dissatisfaction with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) after it declined to fund their travel to South Africa for the verification of ballot paper printing.
The visit, which was meant to allow political representatives to inspect and approve the printing of ballot papers ahead of next month’s Regional and Local Authority Elections, has become a point of contention.
According to the parties, the ECN’s refusal undermines transparency and fairness in the electoral process, as all political stakeholders are expected to participate in the ballot verification exercise to ensure accountability.
The gathering took place today at Parliament, where opposition members urged the ECN to reconsider its decision and uphold equal participation rights for all contesting parties.
“This is totally unacceptable. It completely undermines transparency and accountability,” Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) spokesperson Max Katjimune said in response to the announcement.
Katjimune added that the decision could damage the ECN’s credibility. “It will affect them as well because their mission will not be fulfilled in this case,” he said.
National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Lukato Martin Lukato, whose party currently holds one parliamentary seat, also condemned the decision as unfair. “The ECN has the budget for this, so they should do it,” Lukato stated.
