APP hits back at IPC over ballot trip offer

The All People’s Party (APP) has rejected Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) leader Panduleni Itula’s offer to represent smaller political parties during the ballot paper printing process in South Africa.

APP secretary general Marius Goraseb was responding to Itula’s remarks made during a Desert FM interview on 16 October, in which he said IPC would travel to South Africa on behalf of parties unable to fund their own trips to observe the printing of ballot papers.

Itula’s comments followed a political parties liaison committee meeting on 14 October, where the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) informed parties that they must fund their own trips, as the commission has no budget for that purpose.

“What makes them (IPC) think they can come and play big brother now? We condemn any notion of perpetuating discrimination in the electoral process based on economic standing,” Goraseb said.

He added that the APP has not been in contact with the IPC since the 2024 election court challenge, stressing that it is the ECN’s responsibility — not IPC’s — to ensure transparency in the electoral process.

“It is the ECN’s mandate to uphold its values. They cannot choose which mandates to uphold and which to ignore for the convenience of appointing authorities. We stand our ground to emphatically state: ‘Nothing about us without us,’” Goraseb said.

Meanwhile, Popular Democratic Movement secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe told The Namibian last Thursday that although he respects Itula’s remarks, he questions how the IPC could represent other parties in verifying ballot papers.

“How will his party do that on behalf of other parties? There will be many candidates per party to verify,” Ngaringombe said.

Last week, the ECN announced that it awarded a N$4.8-million tender to Uniprint Global, a South African company based in Durban, to print ballot papers for the upcoming elections.

The commission said during the 2024 presidential and National Assembly elections, it spent more than N$1 million to cover the costs of over 21 representatives sent to oversee the printing process. Given that more than 50 to 100 representatives are expected this year, ECN said covering the costs again would be too expensive.

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