Electoral Amendment Bill tabled

MEMBERS of the opposition parties complained that the long-awaited Electoral Amendment Bill was brought to Parliament only five months before the upcoming elections.

Local and Regional Government Minister Jerry Ekandjo tabled the bill yesterday and debate started immediately as the bill will allow for the controversial electronic voting machines and requires new political parties, which want to register at the Electoral Commission (ECN) to advertise this intend in the Government Gazette at their own cost.’Why must the gazetting be paid by the applicants – in a Government newspaper? It is the first time I hear of that,’ criticised McHenry Venaani (DTA). ‘It infringes on the right of association.’Nora Schimming-Chase of CoD criticised that a new clause had been introduced in the amendment that allows the registration of 18 year old voters, who will this year vote for the first time through declarations of their parents. ‘Why declare people when they turn 18 years old – it is nearly 20 years after Independence. Don’t these 18-year olds have birth certificates and baptism documents?’ she wanted to know. The CoD politician said she was disappointed that no provision was made for civil society to conduct voter education. ‘The amendment bill provides for voter education that may be conducted by political parties, but we do that anyway,’ she said.Schimming-Chase welcomed that election results would now be counted at polling stations and announced there. ‘This is a good amendment, but what about tendered ballots? Will they also be announced?,’ she asked.She said it was further important for opposition parties to get resources to follow mobile polling stations. ‘Please make transport available for all political parties at the next elections so we can follow and monitor mobile polling stations,’ she urged.The CoD politician also cautioned of a new amendment which means that political parties have to determine by a lot, where only one will get a seat, should they end up with the same number of votes.’Determining by lot the winner for a seat if two political parties have equal results, is a bit dicey,’ she said.She further asked that in future the voters’ roll should be made available in a more timely manner ahead of elections, especially now that voting outside the country would be allowed under the new bill. ‘I dread the day when we have two million voters inside Namibia and one million voters outside!’ she exaggerated on purpose but hinting at the danger of possible election rigging.Venaani of the DTA said the Bill reached Parliament at a very late time.He urged that the jobs of election should be spread more fairly. ‘Election officer jobs are jobs for Comrades (of Swapo), that is why we have these fears of election rigging. Every job in Government and at parastatals is a job for Swapo members and that should not be a policy in Namibia!’Fisheries Minster Dr Abraham Iyambo asked that an amendment was needed to allow fishermen to vote either at sea or 14 days before an election.Presidential Affairs Minister Albert Kawana introduced an interesting angle to the debate. ‘I am happy about new provisos in the amendment bill about the registration of new parties – the gazetting. ‘We (Swapo) will soon launch a case of theft, as some of our (party) symbols were stolen,’ Kawana charged. He hinted at the registration of the RDP party at the ECN nearly two years ago, which was heavily criticised by Swapo.The membership of some of these (registered) parties are not beyond one constituency. Voters only see them at election time, that is like seeing frogs appearing only during the rainy season. These parties are like frogs!’ Kawana ridiculed the opposition.Arnold Tjihuiko of the Nudo party hit back: ‘Swapo campaigns in churches and in bedrooms. You must be very desperate!’ he said in the direction of Kawana.The debate continues next week.