Johannesburg: A delegation comprising representatives from 18 political parties in Namibia has traveled to Johannesburg to oversee the entire process of producing ballot papers for the forthcoming national elections scheduled for November 27.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the spokesperson for the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), De Wet Siluka, detailed that the delegation includes authorized representatives of various political factions alongside staff from the electoral body. The South African company Ren-Form CC has been contracted by the ECN at a cost of N. dollar 6.25 million to supply the ballot papers for the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Ren-Form CC is reputed for its extensive experience, having printed ballots for over 70 elections across Africa over the last two decades.
The ECN’s decision to select Ren-Form CC has been met with controversy and dissatisfaction among several parties due to allegations of the company’s involvement in price inflation during the 2023 ge
neral elections in Zimbabwe. Despite these concerns, ECN maintains that Ren-Form’s long-standing track record justifies their choice.
The final voter register indicates that 1,449,569 Namibians are eligible to vote in the upcoming elections, which will see 21 political parties and 15 presidential candidates vying for positions. Notably absent from the delegation are representatives from the Popular Democratic Movement, the Christian Democratic Voice Party, and the Republican Party of Namibia, all of which have expressed discontent with the selection of Ren-Form.
Teresia Hamurenge, a spokesperson for the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters, emphasized the importance of their participation in the observation mission despite reservations: “The fact remains that we are still unhappy with it. So it is best to put somebody on the ground to go monitor and see what is happening and bring back more facts to support our argument.”
The delegation is expected to return to Namibia on October 29, 2024.
