Africa-Press – Namibia. The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has dismissed allegations that its chief electoral officer, Petrus Shaama, was part of a Swapo delegation that went to China to supposedly prepare ballot papers for the upcoming general elections.
In a press statement on Sunday, ECN chairperson Elsie Nghikembua described the allegations as false and unfounded.
Reports alleged that Shaama went to China with the ruling party to prepare the ballot papers for the Presidential and National Assembly elections, scheduled to take place in November 2024.
“The commission refutes these allegations in the strongest terms. They are completely false and unfounded. The Electoral Commission of Namibia operates independently, and our primary focus is to ensure that we conduct and manage electoral and referenda processes for Namibian citizens in a free, fair, transparent and credible manner,” Nghikembua said.
She said the integrity of the electoral process is of utmost importance to the electoral commission.
“We are committed to upholding the democratic principles of our nation. We, therefore, urge the public to refrain from spreading false and malicious information that has the potential of casting aspersions over the integrity of the electoral processes, and the upcoming national and presidential elections. Let us continue to uphold the values of sound democracy in Namibia,” she said.
Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa on Saturday also refuted the allegations that she was accompanied by Shaama on her week-long trip to China. She informed the media that she had travelled to Beijing to discuss the political alliance between Swapo and the Communist Party of China.
ECN is preparing to hold the Presidential and National Assembly elections on 27 November 2024.
Nghikembua emphasised that ECN adheres to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act in procuring goods and services, including the printing of ballot papers.
“Once the public procurement processes have been completed, authorised representatives of registered political parties, organisations and associations are informed and invited to observe the production and printing of ballot papers. That stage is yet to be reached in our electoral calendar,” she said.
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