Mujoro leaving ECN head held high

The country’s outgoing electoral boss Theo Mujoro says the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has come of age over the years, adding that it is inevitable for an election process to have hiccups.

Mujoro, who is set to leave the election body next month, recounted his time at the ECN at the height of credibility issues around the use of electoral voting machines (EVMs) during the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections, and counts it as the most stressful time at the institution.

The ECN, according to him, was adapting to Namibia’s political landscape.

“No matter how well you prepare for any election, something unexpected will always come along. In our context, a lot has changed since the 2019 elections. We have seen new political players joining the field, more diversity of views and opinions from electoral stakeholders and greater participation of young people.

“I think, as a country, we have come of age,” he said in an exclusive interview with Namibian Sun this week.

On the use of EVMs, Mujoro said: “This was entirely lawful and done within the provisions of the Electoral Act”.

Then independent presidential candidate, Dr Panduleni Itula, challenged the use of EVMs without a verifiable trail in the 2019 polls.

The Supreme Court handed down a milestone judgment in January 2020 that the ECN may not use EVMs without the simultaneous use of a paper trail.

Go a long way

Mujoro also reflected on the growth of the ECN, saying he was happy it had grown in stature during his time there.

“I am very happy and proud looking the ECN today compared to the early 2000s when the organisation did not even have a national head office. Together with my colleagues, we conceptualised and rolled out the implementation of the new biometric voter registration system countrywide in 2014,” he said.

He further touched on planned reforms being considered for the ECN and said these would enhance its capacity.

“I believe that the proposed amendments will go a long way to enhance the institutional capacity, but also the administrative and operational framework of the ECN,” he said.

Looking back, Mujoro said he was satisfied to leave the ECN in the state it currently is in.

“I am extremely proud of my accomplishments during my time at the ECN. I believe it is time for a new person with a fresh perspective to take the organisation to the next level. The ECN remains a vibrant and resilient organisation and I am confident that those remaining will ensure credible and professionally run elections during the next electoral cycle and beyond.”

No hard feelings

Mujoro also explained his decision not to seek a second term as the administrative head of the ECN, saying he has aided the growth of the institution.

“At a personal level, this matter gave me a lot of headaches, but I am happy that I have acted within the law and with the best interest of the ECN at heart. Thus, no hard feelings whatsoever.

“I have served the ECN continuously in different capacities for the last 22 years, and finally, I have made my contribution as chief electoral and referenda officer and accounting officer during the last five years,” he said.

Asked what the future holds for him, Mujoro would not reveal his next move, but said he will use the free time to reflect while waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

“I am still fairly young and enjoy good health. I have obtained valuable skills and experience during my many years at the ECN. I believe I can still make a contribution to the country through other public institutions. I do not have any job opportunities or offers at this point and intend to use the intervening period for reflection,” he said.

A job well done

Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) director Graham Hopwood said Mujoro steered the ECN ship well in its most challenging times.

“As a civil society organisation, we found him to be approachable and cooperative during his tenure. The elections he oversaw were not easy to manage, with the disputes over EVMs and then the return to paper ballots. The faults during the 2019 election were more to do with problematic clauses in the Electoral Act rather than electoral management.

“On the whole, I think he acquitted himself well considering the difficulties he faced,” Hopwood said.

Good riddance

Meanwhile, Itula, who feels hard done by Mujoro’s tenure, said his departure would aid democracy.

“His departure is a blessing for the survival of democratic elections, but he should never escape the wreath of the law for rigging our elections.”

Itula accused Mujoro of unprofessional conduct.

“Mr Mujoro presided over the first ever independent presidential candidate’s participation in any elections in Namibia and his professionalism was unfortunately betrayed in the manner in which he presided over the rigging of the 2019 presidential elections,” he said.

He added that he felt Mujoro was unable to properly account for voting mishaps experienced during these polls.

“To date, 7 000 votes for the independent presidential candidate are still gazetted under the United Democratic Front [UDF] candidate, Mr Pius Auchab... How this happened electronically, Mr Mujoro failed to explain.

“It remains a distorted historical result,” Itula said.