Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN)

Man accused of EVM double voting found not guilty

Eba Kandovazu THE Katima Mulilo Magistrate’s court this week acquitted Lazarus Valentinus , who was in 2019 arrested on suspicion of attempting to cast his vote twice in the Presidential and National Assembly elections, due to a lack of evidence. The 40-year-old Valentinus was arrested at a poling station set up at Ngweze Primary School. His bail, amounting to N$ 2000 was subsequently refunded. At the commencement of the trial earlier this week, nearly two years after the incident,Valentino pleaded not guilty to the charge. The voter verifier at the polling station, Kachana Matali, was also called in to testify…
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Unprepared ECN, PDM lawyers hamper contempt of court challenge

Unprepared ECN, PDM lawyers hamper contempt of court challenge

Tujoromajo Kasuto The contempt of court application sought by three Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) members against the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) Chairperson, Advocate Notemba Tjipueja, for not adhering to a court order issued to have the member’s gazzeted as party’s rightful members of Parliament, was today struck off the roll by High Court Judges, Shafimana Ueitele, Hosea Angula and Thomas Masuku. This is due PDM’s and ECN’s lawyers heads of arguments not being finalised because internal deliberations have not been completed. The matter is struck off temporarily for the people involved to determine an appropriate date suitable for all…
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Swapo wins Ndonga Linena constituency votes recount

Swapo wins Ndonga Linena constituency votes recount

Eba Kandovazu BARELY a week after the Swapo Party of Namibia was stripped off its incumbency in the Ndonga Linena constituency, it has yet again been declared the winner in that constituency following a recount of the votes today. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) this afternoon announced that Swapo Party is the winner, after the Electoral Court last week nullified the results in which it emerged victorious. The party’s candidate, Michael Kampota, will again be sworn in. Last week the court also nullified his initial swearing in, after the All People’s Party (APP) challenged the matter, saying that more…
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National Assembly maintains right procedures were followed

National Assembly maintains right procedures were followed

Andrew Kathindi The National Assembly (NA) is maintaining the right procedures were followed when the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) Chairperson and Commissioners were appointed last week. Opposition members of the NA have said they will take the matter to the courts after finding the entire procedure illegal. “What I can tell you at this point is that they have said it, that they will go to court, so we are just waiting for the papers to be served,” Secretary to the NA, Lydia Kandetu, told Windhoek Observer. Quizzed on whether the right procedures were followed, Kandetu says, “I believe…
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ACC, ECN to get new heads … as parli meets urgently

ACC, ECN to get new heads … as parli meets urgently

Staff Writer The National Assembly will convene for a special session tomorrow, 27 July, to decide the appointment of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) and Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Namibia (ACC), Parliament has announced. ACC boss, Paulus Noa’s contract, which ended at the start of the year, was extended for six months by President Hage Geingob in January and then for another month again last month. “As provided for by article 62 sub-article (1) (c) of the Namibian Constitution, H.E. Dr. Hage Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, has directed by Proclamation number 7586, that…
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Fifteen vie for ECN posts

Fifteen vie for ECN posts

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Parliament has shortlisted 15 candidates to be interviewed for three commissioner positions that are set to become vacant on the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). Among those shortlisted and vying for the ECN posts, is 25-year-old Munolwisho Ipangelua, who if successful, will become the youngest commissioner to be appointed on the ECN board, with the oldest being 65-year-old pastor, Petrus van Zyl. The vacancies will arise due to the end of the terms of current Chairperson, Notemba Tjipueja, and Ulrich Freyer on the 15th of September. Both have served two terms and cannot be considered for reappointment due…
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Electoral Court delays ECN election re-run plans

Electoral Court delays ECN election re-run plans

Andrew Kathindi The re-run of polls in the Aroab, Koës, Stampriet local authorities and Mariental Rural constituency is likely to be delayed with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) still to receive reasons for the Electoral Court’s judgement given last week. According to the body, the judgement will determine whether or not it will appeal the ruling or comply with the court’s decision. This comes as Electoral Court Judge Shafimana Ueitele ruled that the results in the local authorities and constituency be declared null and void and that a re-run of the poll be conducted. Judge Ueitele gave the order…
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Voter apathy strikes elections again

Voter apathy strikes elections again

Andrew Kathindi Voter apathy continues to mire the local authority and regional elections after it has emerged that less than half of registered voters showed up for the past elections. This comes after the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) earlier this month announced that over 1.4 million Namibians had registered to vote. In Windhoek, the local authority with the highest number of registered voters was especially hard hit. Out of 150,172 eligible voters, only 60,339 cast their votes. And from this number, 561 votes were rejected. In Rundu, the local authority with the second highest number of registered voters, 25,962…
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Over 1.4 million registered to vote…as five constituencies will go uncontested

Over 1.4 million registered to vote…as five constituencies will go uncontested

Andrew Kathindi Over 1.4 million Namibian voters are expected to cast their votes in the upcoming regional and local authority elections slated for the 25th of November, Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has revealed. This comes as the election body revealed that nearly 10,000 have been removed from the voting system. According to reports 1,643 of these are deceased voters, with duplicates of 7,895 voters removed through the Automatic Fingerprint identification System (AFIS) or manual litigations. “A total of 69,676 new voters were registered during the SRV process. There are 95,066 voters were existing voters who received new voter cards…
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New twist to PDM parliamentary list fight…as ECN distances self

New twist to PDM parliamentary list fight…as ECN distances self

Andrew Kathindi Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has washed its hands of the matter of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentary list. This comes as Lawyer Norman Tjombe representing PDM members Charmaine Tjirare and Hidipo Hamata, last week, wrote to Parliament, demanding that his clients be recognized and added as elected members of the National Assembly. When approached for comment, Chief Electoral Officer of the ECN, Theo Mujoro directed all queries regarding the matter to Government Attorney, Mati Asino. According to Asino the matter regarding the disputed parliamentary list should be sorted internally within the PDM ranks and ECN should…
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