ECN ready for Moses //Garoëb by-election
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has concluded supplementary registration of voters for the Moses //Garoëb constituency by-election in the Khomas region early this month.
Most political parties New Era conducted have shown their interest in contention of the position.
The ECN has conducted the supplementary registration from 31 October to 2 November 2022 following the death of Aili Venonya in October. The by-election is scheduled for 6 January 2023.
“In terms of the Regional Councils Act, if a vacancy occurs in a particular constituency office, the ECN is obliged in terms of the law to conduct a by-election in that particular constituency within 90 days from the date the vacancy has occurred,” ECN’s Theo Mujoro explained in a media statement issued last month.
The Independent Patriot for Change’s (IPC) secretary general Christine Aochamus, indicated that IPC will fully participate in the by-election as they have already embarked on their campaign. Aochamus further said the party has already started with social media and door-to-door campaigns to reach out to their targeted audiences.
“We already have our candidate and we will only announce him after the registration which will be ending on 23 November. However, IPC campaigns throughout, hence we are ready,” she said.
The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe also confirmed that the party will contest the election but refused to disclose its campaign strategies citing that it is a secret to win the election.
The chief activist of the Affirmative Repositioning Movement, who had a candidate registered as an independent candidate in the previous election, said they are yet to discuss that issue. “We just adopted our constitution and the focus is on building our structures in the post-RIF [reorganise, institutionalise and formalise] era. We haven’t discussed this matter yet,” said Job Amupanda.
Eneas Emvula of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) said their direction will be informed by the statistics in the form of the voters’ roll. “Any decision we make to participate or not is equally a decision driven by the party members and supporters in the constituency and the party head office will announce that. The 2020 election results were a good sounding board indeed, and we have learned in the process since then,” he explained.
He also added that the party has no qualms regarding the entire scheduled date as it was agreed on by all parties. He too refuses to disclose the campaigning strategies in place to win the election.
Contacted for comment, Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa requested for questions to be sent to her and were not responded to before the paper went for print.
“The ECN herewith informs the electorate and the Namibian nation at large that the supplementary registration of voters for the Moses //Garoëb constituency is on the course,” Mujoro said. He added that 41 206 voters are registered in the Moses //Garoëb constituency.
“The ECN has recruited 90 registration officials for the supplementary registration process that was concluded,” he added.