President Mbumba’s election extension proclamation unlawful – lawyer

Lawyer Henry Shimutwikeni says president Nangolo Mbumba’s extention of the elections is not lawful.

Mbumba, on the recommendation of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), on Thursday issued a proclamation stating election day is extended from 27 November to 30 November.

This means the process has been extended by four days instead of two, as the commission stated on Thursday evening.

The proclamation also indicates the polling stations where extended elections will take place.

“Quite odd, because the law says election day should be done no less than 15 days after the proclamation. It is extremely odd, and I don’t think it is lawful to amend the proclamation made . . .

“I very much doubt the lawfulness of the determination of new voting days,” he says.

Shimutwikeni says Mbumba’s signature does not make the amended proclamation lawful.

“Just because it’s a proclamation with a signature of the president doesn’t necessarily make it lawful,” he says.

He says political parties’ agents should be able to be present during extended voting to monitor the process.

“Now there was absolutely no time for those particular arrangements,”
Shimutwikeni says.