Voter registration back on track, says ECN

THE Electoral Commission of Namibia has overcome the problems experienced at the start the supplementary voter registration last week, and the process is back on track.

‘Please go out and register in big numbers,’ was the message of ECN Director Moses Ndjarakana yesterday. He told The Namibian that the necessary materials have been supplied, registration points have been functional since Friday, and the regional co-ordinators are in control of the situation at their stations.’As reported on Friday, the supply of materials was subject to external conditions in South Africa that the ECN could not reverse,’ Ndjarakana said.A strike of customs workers at the SA Revenue Service took place from September 7 to 15, with the hardest hit areas reportedly being customs offices at border posts. This, along with the slow release of vehicles, was blamed for the absence of registration officials at many of the registration points on Thursday.Ndjarakana said the late supply of voter registration materials would not cost the ECN any extra money, as such eventualities were covered under the contractual agreements with suppliers.People still have until September 30 (next Wednesday) to register as voters.When the start of the registration process was delayed on Thursday, some political parties asked whether an extra day would be allocated for registration.Ndjarakana responded to critics and sceptics by saying: ‘The ECN is capable of delivering a free, fair and transparent election, provided that the election business is everybody’s business, and not just that of the ECN.’He added that the Commission ‘respects the role that the media, civic organisations and political parties are playing to be watchdogs of the process,’ and urged media houses to also report the positive elements of the electoral process.’Let us honour this year of the 20th anniversary of our universal suffrage, by being positive and believing in the systems we have put in place,’ he said.Namibia’s first elections in the transition to independence took place in November 1989.’The constant negative (reportage) will discourage people from registering and voting,’ he said, adding that the ‘impact of negativity is felt mainly amongst the young.’On the topic of young voters, Ndjarakana also expressed concern that several young people and ‘born frees’ were not registering to vote, noting that a survey that had been conducted by the ECN showed that the lack of national identification was keeping young people from registering.’This is a big national concern, and not just a problem for the ECN,’ he said.Another factor affecting registration, he said, was voter apathy, partly due to the national identification saga.’We must work together and support this process of electing our leaders, because it is to the benefit of our country as a young democracy striving to attain the same level of democratisation as the countries we are looking up to,’ he said.