ECN goes ahead with recount with or without Swapo

NAMPA

WINDHOEK

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) will proceed with a recount of ballot papers from the Ndonga Linena constituency regional council election of 2020 despite calls from the Swapo Party to cancel it and rather re-run the election.

ECN chief electoral officer Theo Mujoro said the commission was committed to executing the Electoral Court order, and had finalised preparations for the recount to take place at its head office this morning.

Swapo Party secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa on Monday criticised the commission for the way it had conducted the election.

The Swapo candidate had won the election, whose outcome was declared null and void by the Electoral Court.

Shaningwa said even though her party was invited to participate in the recount of the votes, Swapo would not be part of the recount, as the party refused to be used as a “tool for validating unlawful acts”.

With or without you

However, Mujoro said the recount would go ahead with or without the presence of all concerned parties.

“The Electoral Court on 13 September 2021 ruled that the recount should commence not later than 10 calendar days from the date of the order, and it should be concluded as soon as reasonable thereafter but not later than 20 calendar days from the date of the order. The recount exercise will be conducted as provided for in terms of section 105 of the Electoral Act No 5 of 2014,” said Mujoro.

He added that the commission would ensure that all security mechanisms were deployed during the recount to ensure that the process was fully transparent so as to ensure the integrity of the outcome.