Africa-Press – Namibia. Member of parliament (MP) Aloisius Kangulu says the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) must amend election laws to ensure seaworkers are not excluded from regional council and local authority elections.
This as a number of fishermen in the Erongo region who went to sea this week have been unable to participate in the elections. They were also not allowed to participate in the special voting, which was reserved for police officers and polling staff deployed outside their constituencies ahead of official election day.
Kangulu says the current Electoral Act does not make provision for fishermen, offshore workers, soldiers, police officers not deployed for elections, or Namibians abroad to vote during special voting.
“ECN and stakeholders must zoom into how best they can harmonise the approach, mostly for special voting day. The act did not make provision for seaworkers, soldiers, police – except those deployed for elections, not even those in the diaspora.”
Kangulu says the gap in the law amounts to unequal participation.
“We can’t have a law that discriminates or disadvantages these; the same law is meant to serve,” he says, adding that the situation reveals deeper governance issues.
“We truly have a serious problem where institutions of democracy are contrived by politicians, for they serve the masters instead of the people,” Kangulu says.
Another MP, Willem Amutenya, took to his social media page to say many eligible voters were unable to cast their ballots because they are no longer in the constituencies where they are registered.
According to him, university students and young people seeking employment are most affected.
“Many eligible voters can’t vote today because they are no longer in the constituency where they are registered. It’s unfortunate that university students are most affected, because they moved home after the semester ended, while other youth moved for work,” he says.
Amutenya believes these realities should guide reforms to make elections more flexible.
“These realities should guide the ECN to perfect our electoral processes, ensuring no one is excluded by circumstances beyond their control.”
Chairperson of the Namibia Fishermen United Association Mathew Lungameni says some members could not return to port in time to vote.
“We are not aware of vessels’ schedules, and if the fishermen do not come back to vote, we will take the further step legally,” Lungameni adds.
Paulus Hango, president of the Namibia Seaman and Allied Workers Union (Nasawu), criticised companies for preventing fishermen from voting. He asserts that denying workers their democratic rights is unacceptable.
“No one has the right to refuse anyone their vote,” Hango says, noting that businesses should have made arrangements to ensure vessels were in port during elections.
“Companies should plan to have vessels on shore during elections. Preventing fishermen from voting is disrespectful and unconstitutional,” Hango adds.
He warns that Nasawu will hold companies accountable for restricting workers’ rights.
The Confederation of Namibian Fishing Associations (CNFA) says the ECN does not set aside a special voting day for sea-going personnel during regional council and local authority elections, unlike general elections.
CNFA chairperson Matti Amukwa says vessels are deployed at sea to provide raw materials for processing facilities and the timing is at the discretion of individual companies.
“Vessels always go to sea, notwithstanding public holidays, and the crews are being remunerated accordingly. The situation can only be resolved if the ECN makes provision for sea-going personnel as it does during general elections,” Amukwa adds.
The ECN did not respond to questions sent by the time of publication. The Namibian wanted to know whether arrangements could have been made for offshore personnel to participate in the elections and whether any oversight or intervention was planned to ensure voting access.
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