Petronella Sibeene
30 October 2009
Windhoek — Patients at all hospitals across the country will be able to vote on election days by visiting polling places to be set up at hospital premises.
Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, told New Era yesterday that the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) will set up mobile teams at all the 34 district hospitals, three intermediate hospitals and at the central hospital.
Kamwi said the ministry has been in contact with the electoral body to ensure Namibians receiving medical care during the time of the November plebiscite are presented with an opportunity to exercise their democratic right.
Unfortunately, those in serious conditions will not be able to vote by virtue of their condition and by law electoral officials will not be allowed to visit hospital wards.
Thus only patients who will be fit enough to walk to the polling sites to be erected, will be able to cast their votes.
"I would like to encourage all our health workers and patients who will be in a position to at least walk (to the polling station) to exercise their democratic right," said the minister.
Namibians will vote on November 27 and 28, 2009, with 14 political parties registered to contest the poll.
However, 12 parties have registered presidential candidates, with Monitor Action Group (MAG) and the National Democratic Party (NDP) choosing not to put forward presidential candidates.
The printing of ballot papers by a South African printing company, which started on Tuesday is said to be on course, with the papers likely to be dispatched to Namibia over the weekend.
The company is printing 3.2 million ballot papers for both the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
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