Staff Reporter
THE Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has “unequivocally” refuted and denounced the “malicious and baseless allegations” propagated earlier this month by the leader of the Affirmative Repositioning, Job Amupanda.
Amupanda claimed that the ruling SWAPO Party and the ECN were holding behind-the-scenes meetings strategising to violate the law following the appointment of Outapi Constituency councillor Immanuel Shikongo as the new Omusati governor.
In a statement issued Saturday, the ECN said that Amupanda’s claims are not only devoid of any truth but a deliberate attempt to sow confusion and distrust towards the Commission.
The ECN clarified that when a vacancy occurred in Outapi, a notice of the vacancy was duly gazetted on 18 July in strict adherence to legal requirements.
The law requires that such a vacancy be filled within three months through an election. “This means that the vacancy in Outapi Regional Council must be filled by the end of September 2025,” said the ECN, adding that the Commission’s actions since the occurrence of the vacancy have been transparent.
Following the vacancy, the Commission immediately invoked its preparatory processes for the conduct of a by-election in the Outapi Constituency, including the compilation of a statutory Election Schedule.
A meeting of the PLC (Political Parties Liaison Committee) was held on 14 July to share the Draft Election Schedule and to discuss the potential legal, logistical, and administrative challenges and the implications involved in conducting a by-election close to the Regional Councils and Local Authorities Elections.
The ECN said that the AR was not only represented at the meeting, but its representative actively participated in all deliberations and decisions taken.
The Commission’s statement reads further:
“We wish to record that the Commission never resolved not to proceed with the by-election. Instead, various options and their implications for both the Commission and the political parties were presented for consideration, and these were also echoed by the PLC.
It was collectively agreed during the PLC meeting that the Commission would further analyse and weigh all presented options and subsequently inform the political parties on the way forward. This, in our view, is an exercise of due diligence, not a secret strategy to violate the law.
We affirm and further record that the ECN is, in terms of Section 4 of the Electoral Act, 2014 (Act No. 5 of 2014 as amended), the exclusive authority to direct, supervise, manage, and control elections and referenda in a free, fair, independent, credible, transparent, and impartial manner. We operate without fear, favour, or prejudice, and our objectivity is paramount.
We unequivocally state that there is no evidence whatsoever to substantiate any claims of ‘corruption or electoral fraud’ as alleged.
As we approach the upcoming elections, we urge all Namibian citizens to remain vigilant and to rely exclusively on credible, verified information. It is the collective responsibility of every citizen to help preserve the integrity of our democratic processes.
We should not allow ourselves to be misled by misinformation designed to manipulate public opinion and derail a peaceful and fair election.
The Commission remains steadfast in its commitment to conducting free, fair, transparent, and credible elections at all material times. We call upon all citizens and political actors to support the Commission in safeguarding the integrity of our democracy and ensuring that the electoral rights of all Namibians are upheld.”
