The Electoral Commission in Namibia (ECN) has proven to be a farce in the last ten years judging from allegations and counter allegations of vote rigging, including ballot stuffing. At the centre of the controversial ECN is the credibility of the commissioners, who are bipartisan and biased in favour of the ruling class.
The recent Informanté exposé of a commissioner appointed with fake qualifications, but who even made if to the shortlist of the successful candidates, served as the straw that broke the camel’s back. An investigation points to a deliberate endeavor to have a commissioner who could be bought and sold, with an appropriate profile, to collaborate in one way of the other to sway the election results in favour of the powers that be.
Now the ECN is falling around with attempts to clear the so-called ‘distorted image,’ apparently being created by the media, in the wake of the high court judgement about low credibility in the 2009 election. What is surprising is that the ECN says it will not answer on the judgement since the matter is sub-judice. However, the ECN has not said a word about the resignation of Rodney Guiseb and how they are going to go about reversing the allegations of recruiting only partisan commissioners to serve the interests of the elite.
Another surprising matter is the fact that the ECN is more concerned with image and reputation of the Director of ECN, citing defamatory media allegations about the head of the ECN in the wake of the high court judgement which clearly indicated that the commission needs to overhaul its modus operandi. What is at stake is not the ECN’s image, but the trust of all Namibians that they are capable of holding free and fair elections.
Full Article: Informante.