The Oshikoto branch of the ruling Swapo Party has lodged a complaint with the Ondangwa Magistrates’ Court over allegations that the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) irregularly slotted in a voter on the voters’ list as political parties gird their loins for a bruising encounter in the Omuthiya local authority elections this Friday.

Swapo regional coordinator for Oshikoto, Armas Amukwiyu, yesterday said the party lodged a complaint with the Ondangwa Magistrates’ Court requesting a probe into alleged irregularities in the Omuthiya local authority voters’ list.

Amukwiyu told New Era that based on the original registered voters’ list received, the number of registered voters for the local authority elections scheduled for Friday was 1 586. However, another list was circulated after the registration period that took place from February 4 to 6. The latest list shows there are 1 587 registered voters.

Amukwiyu argues that the name of Magnus Nangombe, president of Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta), was irregularly slotted into the voters’ list after the deadline.

“Swapo Party is reliably informed that Mr Magnus Nangombe, who happens to be on the list of RDP’s candidates, did not make it to register himself for the voter’s card within the given time at Omuthiya during the registration period,” alleges Amukwiyu in a letter forwarded to Ondangwa Magistrates’ Court yesterday afternoon.

Amukwiyu further claims that Nangombe’s form number is not in sequence with other form numbers on the list, an indication that the name of the candidate in question was ‘just pushed in’.

“Magnus Nangombe was registered somewhere outside Omuthiya. All the form serial numbers allocated to each and every registered voter in Omuthiya have 10 digits except the one of Mr Magnus Nangombe which has nine digits … which means that this serial number is not in the bracket of Omuthiya’s serials,” the letter further reads.

Amukwiyu explained that the form serial numbers start with 20042…to 20043. He gave an example of 2004297790, 2004303016 as having 10 digits and insisted that Nangombe’s serial number is 200441785 (nine digits).

It appears that Nangombe whose name now appears on the list was not initially registered as an eligible voter in Omuthiya, hence the suspicion that there were irregularities involved in his name being added to the list after the deadline, Oshikoto Swapo regional coordinator alleges.

“Swapo Party strongly feels that there are irregularities applied or used.

Therefore, Mr Magnus Nangombe does not qualify as an eligible voter in Omuthiya, not to mention him being a candidate,” he added.

Amukwiyu further claims that at the end of the registration period, Moses Amukoto, Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) regional coordinator on February 8 approached the returning officer, Christophina Udjombala, indicating that the RDP list was likely to change because their candidate Nangombe was at the time in Cape Town for medical reasons.

Amukoto, according to Amukwiyu, on the same day reverted to the returning officer saying he had spoken to his supervisors in Windhoek, indicating Nangombe should remain on the list.

However, Udjombala denied being contacted by Amukoto, saying she did not know anything regarding the case.

Efforts to seek comment from Nangombe proved futile as his mobile phone was off.

ECN Director, Phillemon Kanime, told New Era that the only official list showed there were 1 587 registered voters.

“We only sent out one list to the magistrate of Ondangwa and it showed that there are 1 587 registered voters and I assume this is the list my officers sent. I do not know about the other list,” said Kanime.

The ECN Director said his office’s responsibility is to ensure that candidates are Omuthiya residents and if there was any name change, the parties should respond.

Kanime added that no one outside Omuthiya was allowed to register as a voter in that area.

“This is the reason why we asked political parties to assist us in making sure that all their candidates are from Omuthiya,” said Kanime.

This will be the first time RDP participates in an election considering that it registered as a political party late last year.

RDP, the Swapo Party, Congress for Democrats (CoD) and Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) will be contesting the Omuthiya local authority elections.

Fierce campaigns involving the Swapo Party and the RDP have been witnessed at the northern town since the beginning of the year, with the latest being a star rally by Swapo president, Hifikepunye Pohamba last Saturday. RDP held its rally on Sunday.

All four parties have submitted seven candidates each to ECN and all the votes will be put together. Seats will be allocated to the candidates depending on the number of votes each party gets. For the remaining seat, the surplus method will be used and the party with the most surplus will take the remaining seat.

The elections take place on February 29, from 07h00 and end at 21h00 the same day. Counting is expected to take place shortly after polling stations close and the results will be announced after the counting.

Meanwhile, Kanime said training of polling officials was on course.
“We are steadfast,” he said.

Printing of the ballot papers took place on Friday.

During the elections, there will be five fixed polling stations and two mobile teams.

Fixed polling stations will be at Omuthiya Church, Onakasino J P School, Onashikuvu Primary School, Iipumbu Junior Secondary School and Omuthiya Engen Service Station. One mobile team will be at Onamulenga Lodge, Okashana Research Centre, Ekulo Senior Secondary School and Uupeleki.

The second mobile team will be at Onyeka Church, AFM Church Omuthiya and Ondiika.

Picture: Director of Elections Philemon Kanime

NewEra.com.na