NSHR questions EC’s impartiality

THE National Society for Human Rights says it is not surprised that the Electoral Commission of Namibia found nothing wrong with alleged irregularities during the appointment of election officials for voter registration at the newly proclaimed northern town of Omuthiya.

The Chairperson of the ECN, Victor Tonchi, announced at Eenhana on Friday that they had found “no evidence that conclusively supports the allegations that the recruitment process was flawed or irregular” and that “nothing was done by the officials involved in the recruitment process, that would undermine the credibility of the election process or influence its outcome”. A week ago the NSHR sounded the alarm on credible allegations of irregularities in the recruitment and appointment of registration officers and their assistants for the supplementary voter registration at Omuthiya.It said the recruitment was done through the “highly politicised and partisan” Oshikoto Regional Council and candidates were screened there before their names were forwarded to the ECN headquarters in Windhoek.The human rights body claimed that only those applicants who were Swapo Party members or claiming to be Swapo members were recruited and eventually appointed as registration officers.The ECN said it made the findings following its “working mission” to Omuthiya and the Eenhana constituency in the Ohangwena Region.”NSHR is not surprised at the ECN findings, as the said irregularities and/or flaws were allegedly committed by the Oshikoto and Ohangwena Regional Councils in accordance with the standing arrangement between them and the ECN and further that the ECN investigation was substantively and procedurally flawed per se,” the NSHR said in a statement.It questioned the “unfairness and or unreasonableness” inherent in the said arrangement and states further that the recruitment was procedurally and substantially unfair and also irregular and flawed.Tonchi, however, said they undertook to review the ECN’s recruitment procedures “with the aim of addressing any loopholes that might be prevalent in the present application and selection procedures for election officials”.”As far as we are concerned, this is a constructive admission by ECN pointing to, at least, the fact that there is circumstantial evidence that irregularities have in fact occurred as had been alleged and such irregularities were foreseeable.The ECN probe was therefore inherently irregular and faulty … as ECN can hardly fairly and objectively investigate itself.An independent investigation would have been much more credible”, said NSHR spokesperson Dorkas Phillemon.The supplementary voter registration took place last week at Omuthiya and the elections are scheduled for February 29.A week ago the NSHR sounded the alarm on credible allegations of irregularities in the recruitment and appointment of registration officers and their assistants for the supplementary voter registration at Omuthiya.It said the recruitment was done through the “highly politicised and partisan” Oshikoto Regional Council and candidates were screened there before their names were forwarded to the ECN headquarters in Windhoek.The human rights body claimed that only those applicants who were Swapo Party members or claiming to be Swapo members were recruited and eventually appointed as registration officers.The ECN said it made the findings following its “working mission” to Omuthiya and the Eenhana constituency in the Ohangwena Region.”NSHR is not surprised at the ECN findings, as the said irregularities and/or flaws were allegedly committed by the Oshikoto and Ohangwena Regional Councils in accordance with the standing arrangement between them and the ECN and further that the ECN investigation was substantively and procedurally flawed per se,” the NSHR said in a statement.It questioned the “unfairness and or unreasonableness” inherent in the said arrangement and states further that the recruitment was procedurally and substantially unfair and also irregular and flawed.Tonchi, however, said they undertook to review the ECN’s recruitment procedures “with the aim of addressing any loopholes that might be prevalent in the present application and selection procedures for election officials”.”As far as we are concerned, this is a constructive admission by ECN pointing to, at least, the fact that there is circumstantial evidence that irregularities have in fact occurred as had been alleged and such irregularities were foreseeable.The ECN probe was therefore inherently irregular and faulty … as ECN can hardly fairly and objectively investigate itself.An independent investigation would have been much more credible”, said NSHR spokesperson Dorkas Phillemon.The supplementary voter registration took place last week at Omuthiya and the elections are scheduled for February 29.