Independent candidates out
"For this election, no independent candidates," Dr Elsie Nghikembua, chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), said yesterday. This was immediately after she rejected the last three possibilities for independent contenders in the upcoming presidential election, and elaborated on the reasons why Elsie Chen, Jeremia Kaambo and Ally Angula will not appear on the ballot next month.
Yesterday, the ECN concluded a public meeting for the official announcement of candidates and political parties that will participate in the 27 November presidential and parliamentary elections. It was extended from the previous day to give the independent candidates a chance to correct issues in their applications. However, all failed to do so.
Nghikembua said in no region did Chen achieve the necessary 500 registered voter signatories for her nomination as an independent candidate. Kaambo also fell short, but in addition, his signature on application form number 17 did not match his signature on the voting roll.
Angula was also unable to get the necessary 7 000 signatures nationwide, and some of her signatories' signatures did not match those on the voting roll either. She could only get 5 653 signatures from eight of 14 regions, 1 347 short, according to Nghikembua.
System to blame
However, Angula placed the blame on the ECN's computer system. "After we left here yesterday, the system was only activated at around 20:00. It then went down again at around 06:00 this morning," she said.
“We were informed that we would be able to submit until 09:00 this morning. So, we will not fight the system. It was clearly set up to achieve a specific goal, but it does not support independent candidates."
Angula remained resolute that she will not participate in the presidential election on behalf of a political party either. "Of course I'm disappointed," she added.
Not just signatures
According to Nghikembua, independent candidates were invited to submit hard-copy forms if they experienced problems with the online system. "We have also accepted the physical forms," she said.
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president and presidential candidate Panduleni Itula, who competed as an independent candidate in 2019, said "it's not just about collecting signatures, you also have to have a strategy".
"I understand the pain and the frustration, especially for those who told the nation they would be independent candidates," he said, adding that no one approached him to find out how he did it.
Presidential candidates
At the same occasion, Nghikembua announced that Erastus Shuumbwa will contest in the presidential election on behalf of the Action Democratic Movement (ADM), Job Amupanda on behalf of Affirmative Repositioning (AR), Ambrosius Kumbwa on behalf of the All People’s Party (APP), Festus Thomas on behalf of the Body of Christ Party (BCP) and Vaino Amuthenu on behalf of the Congress of Democrats (CoD).
Meanwhile, Landless People’s Movement (LPM) will be represented by Bernadus Swartbooi, Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) by Epafras Mukwiilongo, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) by McHenry Venaani, Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) by Mike Kavekotora, the Republican Party (RP) by Henk Mudge, Swanu by Evalistus Kaaronda, Swapo by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, United Democratic Front (UDF) by Hendrik Gaobaeb and United Namibian Party (UNP) by Sakaria Likuwa, ECN said.
Yesterday, the ECN concluded a public meeting for the official announcement of candidates and political parties that will participate in the 27 November presidential and parliamentary elections. It was extended from the previous day to give the independent candidates a chance to correct issues in their applications. However, all failed to do so.
Nghikembua said in no region did Chen achieve the necessary 500 registered voter signatories for her nomination as an independent candidate. Kaambo also fell short, but in addition, his signature on application form number 17 did not match his signature on the voting roll.
Angula was also unable to get the necessary 7 000 signatures nationwide, and some of her signatories' signatures did not match those on the voting roll either. She could only get 5 653 signatures from eight of 14 regions, 1 347 short, according to Nghikembua.
System to blame
However, Angula placed the blame on the ECN's computer system. "After we left here yesterday, the system was only activated at around 20:00. It then went down again at around 06:00 this morning," she said.
“We were informed that we would be able to submit until 09:00 this morning. So, we will not fight the system. It was clearly set up to achieve a specific goal, but it does not support independent candidates."
Angula remained resolute that she will not participate in the presidential election on behalf of a political party either. "Of course I'm disappointed," she added.
Not just signatures
According to Nghikembua, independent candidates were invited to submit hard-copy forms if they experienced problems with the online system. "We have also accepted the physical forms," she said.
Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president and presidential candidate Panduleni Itula, who competed as an independent candidate in 2019, said "it's not just about collecting signatures, you also have to have a strategy".
"I understand the pain and the frustration, especially for those who told the nation they would be independent candidates," he said, adding that no one approached him to find out how he did it.
Presidential candidates
At the same occasion, Nghikembua announced that Erastus Shuumbwa will contest in the presidential election on behalf of the Action Democratic Movement (ADM), Job Amupanda on behalf of Affirmative Repositioning (AR), Ambrosius Kumbwa on behalf of the All People’s Party (APP), Festus Thomas on behalf of the Body of Christ Party (BCP) and Vaino Amuthenu on behalf of the Congress of Democrats (CoD).
Meanwhile, Landless People’s Movement (LPM) will be represented by Bernadus Swartbooi, Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) by Epafras Mukwiilongo, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) by McHenry Venaani, Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) by Mike Kavekotora, the Republican Party (RP) by Henk Mudge, Swanu by Evalistus Kaaronda, Swapo by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, United Democratic Front (UDF) by Hendrik Gaobaeb and United Namibian Party (UNP) by Sakaria Likuwa, ECN said.
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