The Electoral Commission of Namibia yesterday backtracked on an announcement that only voters registered at Namibia’s foreign missions would be allowed to cast their votes at polling stations outside the country on Friday next week. In a media statement issued yesterday, ECN chairperson Notemba Tjipueja denied that the ECN had taken a decision to exclude any registered voters outside Namibia from exercising their right to vote at the country’s foreign missions. “It is, and always was, the Commission’s point of view that all registered voters in possession of a valid voters’ registration card be allowed to vote in terms of Section 98 of the Electoral Act,” Tjipueja stated.
She referred to a section of the Electoral Act which states that if a voter in a Presidential or National Assembly election is unable to vote at a polling station in the constituency in which the voter is registered, the presiding officer of any other polling station – whether in or outside Namibia – must permit the voter to cast a tendered vote at that polling station.
Tjipueja added that if voters who registered at a registration point inside Namibia find themselves abroad on 14 November (Friday next week) and will still be abroad on 28 November, when the national elections are taking place, they will be allowed to vote at designated polling stations abroad next Friday.
If voters who registered at designated foreign missions of Namibia are unable to vote at those missions next week Friday, but find themselves in Namibia on 28 November, they will be allowed to vote on election day, Tjipueja also stated.
Full Article: allAfrica.com: Namibia: ECN Makes U-Turn On Foreign Voting.