Rally for Democracy and Progress supporters take to the streets. (Photo Courtesy RDP)

Four political parties that contested the November 2009 Presidential and National Assembly (NA) elections issued a joint statement to voice their great concern and dissatisfaction about alleged irregularities during voting.

The parties are the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), Republican Party (RP), and the South West Africa National Union (Swanu).

In a statement issued at a local hotel late on Saturday, the parties claimed that several ballots were cast at Epembe in the Ohangwena region that did not have the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) identification stamp on it.

"This incident was due to criminal negligence by officials of the ECN, or worse yet, (an) attempt at outright rigging," the statement read.

The parties claimed that the supposed indelible ink is in fact removable, and that several attempts of people trying to vote more than once were spotted.
One such incident allegedly happened at the Jan Mohr High School polling station in the Dorado Park suburb.

The alleged discrepancies in the final voters' roll surfaced once again, with the parties maintaining that the fact that ECN provided four different figures to the run-up to the elections cast doubt over the validity of the roll.

Several party agents were allegedly denied entry into polling stations in Okahandja, while the ruling Swapo-Party agents in the Omulonga, Onanghwee, Otunganga,, Ondeikela and Oneihenda constituencies in the Ohangwena region are accused of personally assisting voters to cast their votes, something the parties claim is in gross violation of the Electoral Act.

A Swapo-Party Deputy Minister Kilus Nguvauva is also accused of openly campaigning at polling stations in the Omaheke region.
The Namibian Police (NamPol) allegedly failed to take action against Nguvauva.

The parties are now compiling a dossier containing alleged irregularities during the elections.

The country went to the polls on Friday and yesterday for the Presidential and National Assembly (NA) elections.