Nothing wrong with providing food at political rallies – ECN

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says giving people food at political rallies is not wrong.

The ECN recently noted this on its social media page, in reaction to an article titled: ‘Bribing voters with food an offence – Electoral law’, published in The Namibian on Friday.

The ECN did not provide comment for the article, after being requested to do so days prior to its publication.

According to the ECN, a section of the law prevents political parties who give food to potential voters from influencing their votes.

“Therefore, it will have to be proven in court that a person corruptly gives, provides, pays a person to corruptly influence another person to record or abstain from recording his or her vote in an election,” noted the ECN.

It should also be proven that a voter corruptly accepts or takes a payment, or food or drink, to corruptly record or abstain from recording his or her vote, the ECN further noted.