Allexer Namundjembo
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says political parties that held press conferences after the official campaign cut-off violated the electoral cooling-off rules.
ECN commissioner Pius Iikwambi said the commission, through its chief executive officer, issued an operational directive on 20 November to all electoral stakeholders, including regional electoral officers, returning officers, and the police.
The directive outlined the legal framework for stopping campaigning and explained the statutory cooling-off period for regional and local authority elections.
Iikwambi said the code of conduct, published in September 2024, binds all political parties, organisations, candidates, members and supporters.
The directive defined canvassing as seeking votes for a candidate and stated that the cooling-off period was based on the polling-day proclamation published in the government gazette 37 of 2025.
He said all campaigning, including gatherings, advertisements, publications and any form of canvassing, had to stop at 23h59 on 24 November.
This comes as on Tuesday, the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) held a press briefing, raising questions about whether such activity falls within prohibited campaigning during the 48-hour cooling-off period.
“In my view, convening or holding a public gathering of any kind includes a press conference and therefore constitutes a contravention,” he said on Wednesday night at a press conference in response to questions by the Windhoek Observer.
Pius added that prohibited conduct includes holding any public gathering, publishing statements that promote or oppose a party or candidate, disrupting election officials, or coercing voters who do not need assistance.
According to the Electoral Act, parties, candidates or supporters who break the code of conduct may face administrative penalties, including fines, warnings, or orders to stop prohibited activities.
Serious or repeated violations may result in the disqualification of candidates, the restriction of parties from election activities, or the referral of cases for criminal prosecution.
Iikwambi said the commission has not received any reports of transgressions and urged anyone with evidence to come forward.
“We have not received any information regarding transgressions of the code of conduct,” he said, adding that ECN would take action if credible reports were submitted.
He also clarified that the directive can apply to special voting.
Special voting was held for election officials and police officers who had to work outside their constituencies on 26 November.
“Special voting is an election, so it can also be extended to special voting,” he said.
Also on Tuesday, hours before election day, members of the Outjo Residents Association (ORA) disrupted a municipal event, arguing that it was being used as a political campaign platform ahead of the elections.
ORA chairperson Dankeni Tjilongo said the gathering violated the Electoral Act, which prohibits campaigning within 48 hours before voting day.
Tensions rose when Outjo mayor Sieglinde Kanani Amamus, who is also a candidate in the election, reacted angrily and allegedly insulted Tjilongo in front of attendees.
Police officers were called to explain the act, after which Amamus agreed to postpone the event until after the elections.
The event was meant to launch the Outjo Park and hand over certificates to new plot owners.
Outjo resident McKay Oswald Losper expressed concern, saying Amamus, a United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, appeared to have contravened the Electoral Act, government notice 257 of 2024 and proclamation 37 of 2025.
“Kanani convened a public gathering today, deceptively framed as the inauguration of a newly revamped park. Beneath this façade, it became immediately evident that the event was engineered to serve a political purpose,” Losper said.
He claimed that the planned distribution of plots during the electoral silence period would have amounted to inducement and canvassing.
The police in the area, led by chief inspector Harry !Haoeb, shut down the gathering.
In response, Amamus said the event was a council function. “Where does it say that a municipality cannot hold the event? Show me. I am not here as a candidate but here as a mayor,” she said in a video shared on social media, adding that she was not displaying any political flags.
