Omuthiya poll date set

THE Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has set September 26 as the new date for the Omuthiya local authority elections.

Acting Director of Elections Moses Ndjarakana announced yesterday that President Hifikepunye Pohamba has approved the date and that the supplementary registration of voters at Omuthiya will be held from July 9 to 11 to give those who have turned 18 since the last general registration the chance to do so. Political parties will nominate their candidates on August 27.Ndjarakana said Leonard Ndazapo had been appointed as the returning officer for the Omuthiya election.CONTROVERSY Residents of Omuthiya, the regional capital of Oshikoto, were expected to go to the polls in February this year but they were postponed at the last minute after Swapo and the Rally for Democracy and Progress raised objections to some of the names on the voters’ roll.One of those removed was Magnus Nangombe, one of RDP’s seven candidates for the election of the first town Council of Omuthiya.Nangombe’s name was scrapped after Swapo objected to his presence.The ruling party claimed he had missed the deadline for registration and was smuggled onto the voters’ roll after supplementary registrations.Swapo objected to the presence of Nangombe’s name together with 11 others, while the RDP pointed out that 54 names of people who did not live in the constituency were present on the roll.This led to the RDP threatening court action if Nangombe was not put back on the voters’ roll.The RDP argued that he had registered in time.Trouble with the Omuthiya election started when the preliminary voters’ roll with 1 586 names got to Swapo before the official one with 1 587 names was released by the ECN for inspection.Well-placed sources informed The Namibian that the voters’ roll that Swapo used to lodge a complaint against the presence of Nangombe’s name on the Omuthiya list was allegedly smuggled out of the ECN offices by party members who work there.The sources claimed a list without Nangombe’s name was given to the party before the voters’ roll was finalised.When the actual voters’ roll – with 1 587 names – was made available at the local Police station for inspection, Swapo’s Regional Co-ordinator for Oshikoto, Armas Amukwiyu, cried foul.He claimed Nangombe’s presence on the voters’ roll was illegal, as he had not registered in time.Director of Elections, Phillemon Kanime, said he did not know how Swapo had got hold of the first list but was sure that Nangombe had registered in time.Another well-placed source suggested that the list had been “smuggled out” of the ECN offices.Kanime and two others were subsequently suspended for an unspecified time.His fate remains unclear with no disciplinary hearing having taken place.The ECN has, in the meantime, shortlisted five candidates for Kanime’s job.They are acting Director of Elections, Ndjarakana, ECN commissioner Andrew Nghidinwa, magistrate Rachel Nathanael, Labour Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja and former Auditor General, Dr Fanuel Tjingaete.The final choice will be decided once the five have been interviewed by the ECN in July, and have appeared before a special Parliamentary committee which will recommend the appointment to President Pohamba.Political parties will nominate their candidates on August 27.Ndjarakana said Leonard Ndazapo had been appointed as the returning officer for the Omuthiya election.CONTROVERSY Residents of Omuthiya, the regional capital of Oshikoto, were expected to go to the polls in February this year but they were postponed at the last minute after Swapo and the Rally for Democracy and Progress raised objections to some of the names on the voters’ roll.One of those removed was Magnus Nangombe, one of RDP’s seven candidates for the election of the first town Council of Omuthiya.Nangombe’s name was scrapped after Swapo objected to his presence.The ruling party claimed he had missed the deadline for registration and was smuggled onto the voters’ roll after supplementary registrations.Swapo objected to the presence of Nangombe’s name together with 11 others, while the RDP pointed out that 54 names of people who did not live in the constituency were present on the roll.This led to the RDP threatening court action if Nangombe was not put back on the voters’ roll.The RDP argued that he had registered in time. Trouble with the Omuthiya election started when the preliminary voters’ roll with 1 586 names got to Swapo before the official one with 1 587 names was released by the ECN for inspection.Well-placed sources informed The Namibian that the voters’ roll that Swapo used to lodge a complaint against the presence of Nangombe’s name on the Omuthiya list was allegedly smuggled out of the ECN offices by party members who work there.The sources claimed a list without Nangombe’s name was given to the party before the voters’ roll was finalised.When the actual voters’ roll – with 1 587 names – was made available at the local Police station for inspection, Swapo’s Regional Co-ordinator for Oshikoto, Armas Amukwiyu, cried foul.He claimed Nangombe’s presence on the voters’ roll was illegal, as he had not registered in time.Director of Elections, Phillemon Kanime, said he did not know how Swapo had got hold of the first list but was sure that Nangombe had registered in time.Another well-placed source suggested that the list had been “smuggled out” of the ECN offices.Kanime and two others were subsequently suspended for an unspecified time.His fate remains unclear with no disciplinary hearing having taken place.The ECN has, in the meantime, shortlisted five candidates for Kanime’s job.They are acting Director of Elections, Ndjarakana, ECN commissioner Andrew Nghidinwa, magistrate Rachel Nathanael, Labour Commissioner Bro-Mathew Shinguadja and former Auditor General, Dr Fanuel Tjingaete.The final choice will be decided once the five have been interviewed by the ECN in July, and have appeared before a special Parliamentary committee which will recommend the appointment to President Pohamba.