‘Not enough time to audit voters’ roll’

WITH less than 72 hours to go before one of Namibia’s most important elections, political parties and civil organisations were still scrambling yesterday to get their hands on copies of the voters’ roll.

Although the Electoral Commission of Namibia stated that the roll was available for inspection at magistrate’s offices countrywide between October 14 and 29, parties claim they were not informed and were under the impression that the ECN was still compiling it. “They dropped a copy at our offices yesterday (Wednesday),” said DTA media director Ndiuaaka Kaaronda.They had a last-minute meeting yesterday afternoon to audit the voters’ roll but said it was too late to lodge any complaints.”Some people might be turned away from the polling stations come Monday and Tuesday because their names might not appear on the roll.The public did not have a chance to audit the roll,” he said.When the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) and the Namibian Non-governmental Organisations Forum (Nangof) raised concern about the accuracy of the voters’ roll in the absence of an inspection at a meeting with observers, Elections Director Phillemon Kanime responded furiously.He said the roll was made public after it was gazetted and political parties were informed that they could get a hard copy.Both Kaaronda and South West Africa National Union leader Rihupisa Kandando denied knowledge of such information.”We were under the impression that they were still preparing the final voters’ roll.But someone informed me a few minutes ago that the part with supplementary information was released yesterday,” said Kandando.NSHR Executive Director Phil ya Nangoloh said they were “alarmed not only by the late release of the voters’ roll, but also by the absence of a voters’ roll” in parts of the country.He said the “deficient voters’ roll” seriously undermined the integrity in the election and would “complicate the already complicated situation”.Kanime said claims that some regions were omitted were “shocking”.”If we have omitted four or five regions from the voters’ roll, that is serious.You should have come to us before.But that is not true.All regions and constituencies are on the list,” he said.Parties complained that they had not received all the lists and thus were unable to audit them.”They dropped a copy at our offices yesterday (Wednesday),” said DTA media director Ndiuaaka Kaaronda.They had a last-minute meeting yesterday afternoon to audit the voters’ roll but said it was too late to lodge any complaints.”Some people might be turned away from the polling stations come Monday and Tuesday because their names might not appear on the roll.The public did not have a chance to audit the roll,” he said.When the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) and the Namibian Non-governmental Organisations Forum (Nangof) raised concern about the accuracy of the voters’ roll in the absence of an inspection at a meeting with observers, Elections Director Phillemon Kanime responded furiously.He said the roll was made public after it was gazetted and political parties were informed that they could get a hard copy.Both Kaaronda and South West Africa National Union leader Rihupisa Kandando denied knowledge of such information.”We were under the impression that they were still preparing the final voters’ roll.But someone informed me a few minutes ago that the part with supplementary information was released yesterday,” said Kandando.NSHR Executive Director Phil ya Nangoloh said they were “alarmed not only by the late release of the voters’ roll, but also by the absence of a voters’ roll” in parts of the country.He said the “deficient voters’ roll” seriously undermined the integrity in the election and would “complicate the already complicated situation”.Kanime said claims that some regions were omitted were “shocking”.”If we have omitted four or five regions from the voters’ roll, that is serious.You should have come to us before.But that is not true.All regions and constituencies are on the list,” he said.Parties complained that they had not received all the lists and thus were unable to audit them.