AU election observers say ECN is causing confusion with election extension

African Union Electoral Observation Mission head Speciosa Kazibwe says the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is causing confusion by opening more voting stations while counting has started at others.

She was addressing the media in Windhoek on Friday to share the mission’s preliminary observations.

Kazibwe criticised the commission for the lack of access to water and toilets at some stations.

“Really Namibia, you could buy each voter a bottle of water,” she said.

The mission said the ECN should not have set up polling stations on private property.

“Issues of public concerns should be done in public areas,” Kazibwe said.

She said that long queues on Wednesday led to voters driving around looking for less busy polling stations.

“Voters were shopping for polling stations . . . I think something should be done about it,” she said.

Kazibwe said the elections took place in peaceful and calm circumstances and commended political parties for peaceful campaigning.

This mission scored the ECN 50% for ensuring transparency during the election process.

Kazibwe recommended that healthcare and emergency services should have been be added to the special voting exercise.

“I was shocked to find that a big hospital has a polling station,” she said.

The mission recommends that the commission limit the number of voters per polling station.

“They had no idea of how many voters would vote where,” the head of the mission said.