Keetmanshoop by-election kicks off

Residents from the Kronlein residential area at Keetmanshoop, Aroab, Koes, Seeheim, Naute Dam, Rooiwal, Klein Karas, Farm Shirley, and Klein Manasse Border Post are casting their votes in a by-election underway to elect a new constituency councillor for the Keetmanshoop rural constituency.

Returning officer Roseline Keramin on Monday said all polling venues opened at 07h00 and will close at 21h00.

“All the teams dispatched called in this morning, saying they were able to open on time without any challenges to conduct the voting process,” said Keramin.

The by-election was necessitated by the expulsion of former constituency councillor Gerrit Witbooi from the Landless People’s Movement.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) registered 6 675 eligible voters during the supplementary voters registration for the by-election in the ||Kharas region.

ECN has made available six fixed polling stations across Kronlein, Aroab and Koes and while the other villages and settlements will be served by another six mobile teams.

The turnout at the Disability Resource Centre, Teachers’ Resource Centre and Keetmanshoop hospital were high on Monday morning, but had started tapering off by 10h00.

The election takes place amid allegations by the Landless People’s Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi that ECN with Swapo registered 120 new voters that were not part of the supplementary voters registration and tampered with the sensitive materials of the election.

However, on Sunday, ECN chief elections and referendum officer Theo Mujoro dismissed the allegations as baseless and untrue.

LPM, Swapo, Popular Democratic Movement and Independent Patriots for Change are contesting the by-election.

Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!

Latest News