Over 50% of Erongo votes cast on first day

MORE than 50 per cent of registered voters in the Erongo Region cast their vote on the first day of the Presidential and Parliamentary election on Monday.

At the close of polling stations after the first day, a total of 39 491 votes had been recorded, which account for 52,6 per cent of the approximately 75 000 names on the voters roll. The number excludes votes cast at mobile stations in the region.The 54 election venues in Erongo consisted of 21 fixed and 33 mobile stations.The Namibian Electoral Commission did not have an updated figure ready yesterday afternoon for votes cast on the second day.The pace was considerably slower yesterday with much shorter or no queues at most polling stations at the major towns.The only noticeable queues at Swakopmund were at the Municipal offices where residents waited to pay their monthly accounts.In contrast thousands of voters at Walvis Bay and Swakopmund stood patiently in line from very early on Monday for as long as five hours.”We came at 04h00 and arrived before the officials,” said an elderly gentlemen in the line at the Swakopmund Town Hall just after 07h00.At Walvis Bay some voters said they had started queuing as early as 02h00.Two young voters at Kuisebmond said they waited from 05h00 to 11h00 to cast their vote for the first time.The busiest time was early morning with the process slowing down over lunch time when some polling stations had no voters coming in.The pace picked up again after 17h00.Many stations stayed open until 22h00 or even later.Johannes Kapembe, Chief of the Namibian Electoral Commission (NEC) Erongo Constituent told The Namibian he expected another surge of voters on the final evening.Kapembe was happy that the voting process was running smoothly without any problems, except the computer hitch on the first morning.Only one official complaint had been lodged at his office by yesterday afternoon of a mobile team that was only on duty from 07h00 to 11h00 at Spitzkoppe in the Daures Constituency.Kapembe said the presiding officer had confirmed to him that the unit was there.Party agents from the opposition were concerned yesterday that the ballot boxes were not locked up at Police stations overnight, but left at the polling stations.They also alleged that Swapo party agents were allowed with cell phones inside a polling station at Swakopmund.A SADC Observer, Daneel Muller from South Africa said on Monday he was very impressed with the process.Speaking to The Namibian at the Namsov polling station at Kuisebmond around mid morning he said it was the fifth station they had visited.”So far it has been very calm with 200 to 300 people at most stations.”Muller, who recently monitored the election in Botswana, said the process in Namibia was very calm.”People are very tolerant.”Most of the voters The Namibian spoke to mentioned unemployment and the problem of grade 10s not allowed back in school as issues they want addressed after the election.”Our children are forced onto the streets.They need jobs,” said Anna-Marie Tsowases.Peter Eiaseb, who has three children, said grade 10s should be allowed back to school when they fail.Salati Shangula (21), who went to Walvis Bay from Omusati five months ago is still looking for work, and wants to see more job creation.The number excludes votes cast at mobile stations in the region.The 54 election venues in Erongo consisted of 21 fixed and 33 mobile stations.The Namibian Electoral Commission did not have an updated figure ready yesterday afternoon for votes cast on the second day.The pace was considerably slower yesterday with much shorter or no queues at most polling stations at the major towns.The only noticeable queues at Swakopmund were at the Municipal offices where residents waited to pay their monthly accounts.In contrast thousands of voters at Walvis Bay and Swakopmund stood patiently in line from very early on Monday for as long as five hours.”We came at 04h00 and arrived before the officials,” said an elderly gentlemen in the line at the Swakopmund Town Hall just after 07h00.At Walvis Bay some voters said they had started queuing as early as 02h00.Two young voters at Kuisebmond said they waited from 05h00 to 11h00 to cast their vote for the first time.The busiest time was early morning with the process slowing down over lunch time when some polling stations had no voters coming in.The pace picked up again after 17h00.Many stations stayed open until 22h00 or even later.Johannes Kapembe, Chief of the Namibian Electoral Commission (NEC) Erongo Constituent told The Namibian he expected another surge of voters on the final evening.Kapembe was happy that the voting process was running smoothly without any problems, except the computer hitch on the first morning.Only one official complaint had been lodged at his office by yesterday afternoon of a mobile team that was only on duty from 07h00 to 11h00 at Spitzkoppe in the Daures Constituency.Kapembe said the presiding officer had confirmed to him that the unit was there.Party agents from the opposition were concerned yesterday that the ballot boxes were not locked up at Police stations overnight, but left at the polling stations.They also alleged that Swapo party agents were allowed with cell phones inside a polling station at Swakopmund.A SADC Observer, Daneel Muller from South Africa said on Monday he was very impressed with the process.Speaking to The Namibian at the Namsov polling station at Kuisebmond around mid morning he said it was the fifth station they had visited.”So far it has been very calm with 200 to 300 people at most stations.”Muller, who recently monitored the election in Botswana, said the process in Namibia was very calm.”People are very tolerant.”Most of the voters The Namibian spoke to mentioned unemployment and the problem of grade 10s not allowed back in school as issues they want addressed after the election.”Our children are forced onto the streets.They need jobs,” said Anna-Marie Tsowases.Peter Eiaseb, who has three children, said grade 10s should be allowed back to school when they fail.Salati Shangula (21), who went to Walvis Bay from Omusati five months ago is still looking for work, and wants to see more job creation.