ELCRN bishop elections stalled amid nomination chaos and voter roll concerns

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) has postponed its bishop elections amid concerns over nomination irregularities, voter registration issues, and allegations of unfair candidate vetting.

The concerns were raised by the Non-Ordained Members Organisation (Nomo).

The elections were scheduled to take place on Sunday.

This is contained in a letter issued by ELCRN Nomination and Electoral Commission (NEC) chairperson Andreas Katangolo last week.
“This decision has not been taken lightly, but is necessitated by several critical challenges that require immediate attention and resolution,” he wrote.

Katangolo said a significant number of parishes and congregations have not submitted registration totals to the NEC yet, compromising the integrity and accuracy of the voters’ roll.

He said a new election date would be communicated in due course.

The NEC also lacks the necessary funds to proceed with the printing and distribution of ballot papers, he said.

Katangolo said complaints and queries from Nomo are outstanding, and that the commission is still waiting for feedback from the church council on the letter, dated 30 June.

Nomo executive board member Seth Gaeb brought the matter to light last month after failing to get a response from the NEC or the church council.

He said the role and recognition of Nomo is at the centre of the concerns.

According to the ELCRN constitution, Nomo is recognised as an independent structure with its own constitution, leadership, and internal governance.

NOMO sidelined

Gaeb said the organisation’s voice was being sidelined, hence its decision to approach the media.

“We do not have any issues with our church, nor are we seeking to talk bad about anyone, but the manner in which the nominations were conducted was questionable, as a candidate who qualified was not nominated despite their clean record, compared to a pastor who was nominated but has a questionable track record.

“The rules stipulate you cannot have such a bad record,” he said.

Gaeb said the NEC, along with the church council, failed to uphold a fair and consistent candidate vetting process.

This has led to allegations of selective enforcement and a lack of transparency, he said, citing that Nomo has repeatedly warned that this practice endangers the church’s unity and legitimacy.

He said voter registration was also mishandled – announced late, with the critical requirement of being a paid-up church member entirely omitted.

As a result, individuals who do not meet the eligibility criteria were allowed to register and no official voter roll has been released to the public.

Among other concerns raised was that ballot papers lacked serial numbers, making audit verification impossible and the distribution of ballot papers non-existent.

Ballots are not centrally printed. Instead, images are sent via WhatsApp, with local congregations responsible for printing them, Gaeb said.

He said this decentralised approach introduces opportunities for fraud, manipulation and tampering.

“We call for immediate attention and intervention from independent church observers, faith-based justice organisations, and all concerned Christians in Namibia,” he said.

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