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Namibia: Still No Date for Omuthiya
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New Era (Windhoek)
13 May 2008
Posted to the web 13 May 2008
Kuvee Kangueehi
Windhoek
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says it is currently consulting the relevant authorities and all stakeholders in order to come up with the most suitable date for the Omuthiya Local Authority election.
The statement from the ECN comes four days after the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) threatened to take legal action against the ECN should it conduct the election on May 16. At a press conference held yesterday in the capital, the Chairperson of the ECN, Victor Tonchi, said the ECN had suggested May 16 to President Hifikepunye Pohamba but realised that certain statutory requirements would not be met. He noted that the date might be too soon for political party campaigns and other preparations. The chairperson noted that the Electoral Act is silent on what should be done in the event of an aborted election and it is thus open to different interpretations.
The ECN appears to be in limbo, and Tonchi said the ECN is looking at the Act to see whether the other aspects of the Omuthiya election, namely the registration of voters and certification of the voter's roll and nomination of candidates by political parties should be repeated, or whether to proceed with the poll as originally planned. For the first time, the ECN also went on record on the Magnus Nangombe issue and said Nangombe, who is on the RDP's list of nominated candidates for the Omuthiya election, was not registered as a voter during the official period set aside for registration.
Tonchi said Nangombe's name was unlawfully added to the voters register on February 12, four days after the registration period had closed. "The ECN had instituted a forensic investigation and has evidence corroborating this fact." He added that the unlawful inclusion of Nangombe on the voters register is part of the reason why the Commission has put some of its staff members on special leave.
Tonchi said the Nangombe incident was not an isolated disciplinary incident and the ECN has over the last few years, and particularly pertaining to events surrounding the Rundu Rural West Constituency by-election and the postponed Omuthiya Local Authority election, experienced some challenges emanating from actions or omissions by some of its staff members in positions of sensitive responsibility.
He noted that some staff members demonstrated disregard for ethics and professionalism, which are qualities critical for staff member of ECN.
"On several occasions, certain staff members have knowingly and deliberately withheld information from superiors and the Commissioners, which information was critical, in particular, for the management of the Omuthiya election."
Tonchi also took a swipe at the RDP interim President Hidipo Hamutenya and the Swapo Party Youth League secretary, Elijah Ngurare.
Tonchi said Hamutenya was quoted in a local daily saying that Philemon Kanime was on special leave because of the demands of the SPYL.
He said Kanime was put on special leave due to serious infractions and negligence of duty, part of which was withholding of information critical to operations of the Omuthiya election from the Commission. He added that Ngurare on NBC called for the re-instatement of some of the ECN employees who were on special leave and said this was selective morality.
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Tonchi questioned the interest political parties have in staff members of the ECN. He noted that it is disappointing and shameful that the two political parties have taken positions with regard to ECN staff members along partisan lines.
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