Africa-Press – Namibia. With only two days before Namibians vote, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says it is fully ready for Wednesday’s Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections, after correcting all ballot paper discrepancies and delivering materials to every region.
This assurance was given on Saturday by ECN Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer Peter Shaama, who delivered the commission’s second pre-election briefing at Election House in Windhoek.
“We want to assure the entire nation that we are ready. Every outstanding issue has been resolved, and all systems are in place for a smooth, credible and transparent election,” Shaama told the media.
Shaama addressed the issue that had raised public concern earlier in the week, discrepancies identified in ballot paper quantities across several regions. He said the problem was resolved swiftly and transparently.
“All ballot paper discrepancies have been rectified. The supplier delivered the correct quantities on 18 November at no cost to the commission, and verification was done in the presence of political parties and candidates. Everything is now properly packed and dispatched,” he said.
He added that duplicate ballot books found in excess had been sealed in ballot boxes under party supervision.
“These will remain sealed until the commission determines the disposal date, in consultation with stakeholders,” he said.
Sensitive materials
Shaama confirmed that all sensitive election materials, including the corrected ballots, were transported under police escort and are now safely stored in regional police stations.
“Materials for every constituency and every local authority have arrived. Verification was done on arrival in all regions, and everything is secure while we prepare for deployment,” he said.
Non-sensitive materials have also been delivered across the country.
The ECN has recruited and trained over 21,000 Namibians, mostly youth, to serve as polling officials.
“Training took place from 7 to 15 November, and only candidates who scored 60% or higher were selected,” Shaama said. “All officials are ready for deployment from 23 November for special voting and from 24–25 November for the main polling day.”
The ECN has also appointed 120 returning officers for constituencies and 59 for local authorities.
Special voting
Special voting for polling officials and police officers deployed outside their constituencies will take place on Monday, 24 November, from 09h00 to 19h00.
“After voting, all ballot boxes will be taken to police stations for safekeeping until counting begins after the close of polls on 26 November,” Shaama explained.
The Final Voters’ Register, released on 24 October, contains 1,499,449 registered voters, representing 90% of the eligible population. Women make up 53.9% of the list, while youth aged 18–35 represent 42.9%.
To improve accessibility, the ECN has increased polling teams to 2,894, serving 4,861 polling stations nationwide — an increase of 373 teams from last year.
“Polling stations will open at 07h00 and close at 21h00. Voting and counting remain manual, and counting will take place immediately at each polling station, in full view of party agents. This ensures transparency and immediate preliminary results.” Shaama said.
ECN will deploy the Integrated Mobile Voter Registration System (IMVRS) at polling stations for biometric and manual voter verification.
Results will first be verified and compiled at 120 constituency collation centres and 59 local authority collation centres before being transmitted to the Central Election Results Centre (CERC) at Election House.
“The public will be able to follow results on our website and mobile app. These platforms are ready for use,” Shaama said.
Logistics
Shaama said the ECN has secured 5,300 vehicles for the election, as well as tents, tables, chairs and other equipment from the public.
“We have also secured helicopters and boats from the Ministry of Defence to reach hard-to-access areas in Kunene and Zambezi,” he said.
According to Shaama, the ECN is working closely with the Namibian Police to ensure peaceful and secure voting.
“Two police officers will accompany each polling team to maintain safety and order. All arrangements are in place to protect staff, voters, equipment and materials,” Shaama said.
He urged all Namibians to vote peacefully and confidently.
“We remain committed to transparency, accountability and integrity.
We call on all stakeholders to enhance voter education as we enter the final countdown. Let us go to the polls peacefully and choose our leaders,” he said.
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