Windhoek — The National Society of Human Rights (NSHR) has reiterated its "gross irregularities and discrepancies" claim in the Electoral Commission of Namibia's (ECN) voter registration following the withdrawal of its accreditation as an election observer.

The NSHR was stripped of its observer status on Sunday after it claimed that based on evidence in its possession, the current electoral process might not be free, fair and transparent or viewed credible.

The NSHR said the withdrawal of its accreditation is counter-productive and would not deter it from continuing to vigorously monitor the electoral process.

"We have the capacity to monitor ECN both from within and from without. We do not necessarily need the observer cards to achieve our objectives in this regard," the NSHR stated.

Among specific accusations that the human rights body made against the ECN was alleged issuing of duplicate cards, a voters' roll including deceased and under-aged persons and people who were registered after registration deadline under false pretence.

In addition, the human rights body was accused of colluding with some political parties thus compromising its status as an impartial observer body.

The Executive Director of the NSHR, Phil ya Nangoloh, stated that the ECN has admitted certain gross shortcomings in the final voters' register, as the NSHR has pointed out.

"The ECN admits that the final voters' register might have carried discrepancies and omissions due to copying errors. This is absolutely rubbish!" Ya Nangoloh said.

According to the NSHR Executive Director, the withdrawal is not only unfair and unreasonable, but also a deliberate attempt on the part of the ECN to ensure that the remainder of the electoral process is not transparent.

"The electoral outcomes after November 28, 2009 cannot be described as having been fair and impartial as contemplated under Section 4(1) of the Electoral Act 1992 (Act 24 of 1992) as amended," Ya Nangoloh said at a media briefing yesterday.

Ya Nangoloh said in terms of the Electoral Act, as amended, the ECN does not have the luxury to act in any other way, than in a fair, transparent and impartial one.

"However, the manner in which ECN has been behaving gives a reasonable person with an average intelligence to conclude only that ECN is an extension of the ruling Swapo Party," claimed Ya Nangolo.

According to Ya Nangolo, some ECN members behave as if they are card-carrying apparatchiks of the ruling party.

"As a matter of fact, most, not all ECN commissioners are card-carrying members of the ruling Swapo Party.

Let them deny this publicly and we produce proof of some of their Swapo Party membership cards," he added.

Between 60 and 80 NSHR members were already issued with ECN accreditation cards.

"We have done absolutely nothing in contravention of any conditions of the accreditation or the code governing observers, as an aggrieved person we reserve our right under Article 18 of the Namibian Constitution and other statutary and common law to challenge avowedly illegal withdrawal of our observer status by ECN," Ya Nangolo said.

Some of the international observers declined to comment on the issue yesterday.

The Head of the Pan African Parliament Election Observers, Ambrose Dery, said they are not supposed to interfere or talk to the media at this stage, but promised to comment after the elections when they have assessed everything and compiled their report.

"We need to investigate. I don't think the ECN would just do something like that without a reason. We need to be properly informed before we can talk to the media," the Head of the SADC Observer Mission, Ambassador Fransisco Madeira, said.

Head of the SADC Electoral Commission Forum, Nelson Mokgethi, was unaware of the case and would thus not comment.