PLANS are well afoot for Namibia to have two more regions in the North and additional constituencies in the South.
Local Government Minister Jerry Ekandjo told a Swapo meeting at Outapi this week that he had received requests from the Swapo Party that the Kavango and Oshikoto regions be divided into two.A new Delimitation Commission, which consist of a judge and two other people, will soon be appointed to look at the demarcation of regional and constituency boundaries.Ekandjo said he had received requests and proposals from some communities who want bigger constituencies and regions to be divided into two or more, so that services can reach the people easily and without delay.According to Ekandjo, Swapo argues that the vastness of the two regions makes service delivery difficult.Ekandjo also said that the residents of Mpungu constituency had requested that it be divided into two constituencies.In the South the governor of Karas, Bernadus Swartbooi, has called on authorities to divide the Berseba and Karasburg constituencies into two. He also suggested that Keetmanshoop’s Krönlein residential area, which now falls under the Keetmanshoop Urban constituency, be incorporated into Keetmanshoop Rural.Swartbooi made the suggestions at a recent Karas Swapo Party Youth League regional executive meeting held at Keetmanshoop.A few days earlier Ekandjo was also in the South and announced that President Hifikepunye Pohamba would soon appoint the third Delimitation Commission which will conduct public hearings on the delimitation of constituency boundaries. The main task of the commission is to redraw the boundaries of various constituencies, if necessary.The Electoral Commission of Namibia was expected to start with a new voter registration process but it was delayed after political analysts warned that it would be a wasteful exercise because the Delimitation Commission might decide on extra constituencies or regions. That would have forced the ECN to conduct another registration.A national census was conducted last year and it showed migration of voters throughout the country.According to the current Electoral Act, Namibia is required to do a general registration of voters ‘at intervals of no more than ten years’. Since the last general registration of voters was in July and August 2003, the deadline for the next general registration of voters is August 2013.The recent adoption of the Electoral Amendment Bill by both Houses of Parliament paved the way for a general voters’ registration.
