No extension for voters’ registration

… ECN needs about N$60 million extra

Despite the request from president Nangolo Mbumba to extend the current voters’ registration period, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says this is not possible, since it would necessitate postponing the elections.

Currently, 1,1 million people have been registered to vote, representing 65% of eligible voters.

ECN chairperson Elsie Nghikembua yesterday said the verification process of the voters’ register, the objection window and the publication of this list would not allow for an extension.

Mbumba yesterday asked the commission for a possible extension, since the Electoral Act gives the president this authority.

“It is not possible. Otherwise, the election will not take place on 27 November,”

Elsie Nghikembua

The president called the ECN to State House yesterday to address urgent questions on the registration of voters. The ECN is also expecting a shortfall of an estimated N$60 million in its budget, but hopes the treasury would provide the additional funds.

“The Namibia Statistics Agency’s statistics were released after we had already procured some of the registration kit.

With the new figure, we needed to procure additional registration kits, and that has taken us out of our budget.

“This means there is a shortfall, but we were given the opportunity by the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises to present our case. I’m very confident that we are going to cover the shortfall,” Nghikembua said.

An additional 190 registration kits are needed despite the number of eligible voters dropping, she said.

The statistics agency yesterday announced that the number of eligible voters stands at just over 1,6 million, which is a drop from the earlier estimated 1,7 million.

The commission initially identified 4 297 registration points in all 121 constituencies across the country, with 3 849 registration officials to be deployed across all the points.

Nghikembua said the additional kits are needed “as a result of having to establish more teams, having to recruit more officials than initially anticipated and also having to source more vehicles from private owners”.

“Those were not unforeseen, and therefore we are going to need additional money,” she said.

The ECN aims for 85% of the 1,6 million eligible voters to register, while Mbumba wants at least 1,5 million Namibians to own voters’ cards.