WINDHOEK- The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) registered more than 100 000 voters during the supplementary registration exercise that ended countrywide on Saturday.
Provisional supplementary voter registration figures issued on Tuesday by ECN Director, Professor Paul Isaak, indicated 117 412 Namibian voters registered in country.
ECN further registered 343 eligible Namibians at designated registration points at diplomatic missions abroad of which, 117 registered in Cape Town, South Africa and another 39 were also registered at the designated point in Pretoria.
Ondjiva in Angola registered 34; China registered 17; United Kingdom (UK) registered 16; Russia registered 15; Brazil registered 14; Cuba registered 12; Germany registered 11; Zimbabwe registered 10 and Zambia registered 9 voters.
Other countries were Botswana (7); Sweden (7); Malaysia (7) Switzerland (5) and Tanzania (3).
The 13-day supplementary registration started on September 08, 2014 and ended late on Saturday.
In the first six days of supplementary registration, Khomas registered 9001 potential voters and by the end of the exercise Khomas had 25 461 voters.
Ohangwena had the second largest number of voters registered during this exercise with some 12 509 voters registered in almost two weeks.
Omusati Region, on the first day of the supplementary registration had 737 eligible voters registered saw this number swell to 1 136 on the last day with the total tally coming to 10 773.
Others were Oshana (10 032); Erongo (9 711); Oshikoto (8 443); Otjozondjupa (8 155); Kavango East (7 014); Karas (4 986) and Zambezi (3 381).
ECN announced its provisional statistics of the just ended supplementary registration of voters yesterday, with a total of 117 412 in addition to the successful third General Registration of Voters (GRV) exercise which ended on March 2 this year, with over one million people registered both in Namibia and abroad.
The ECN Director of Elections said in due course, the ECN shall publish a comprehensive report on the final statistics.
Profesor Isaak said in addition to the minor technical hiccups experienced at some registration venues during the supplementary process, the ECN also experienced a challenge with transport.
He noted this was swiftly countered with support and reaction from the public by providing suitable vehicles to assist in the transportation of personnel and materials during the supplementary process.
“Generally, the supplementary registration process took place at a very slow pace, but we are nonetheless grateful that we have managed to reach our target of registering more than 100 000 citizens during the just ended supplementary registration process,” he said.
Moreover, the ECN thanked every eligible Namibian voter who seized the opportunity presented by the supplementary registration of voters process and went to the registration points to register.
“This was an opportunity availed to each and every eligible Namibian to register as a voter, which will enable you to exercise your fundamental right to elect those who will represent you at all levels of government, be it Presidential, National Assembly, Regional Councils or Local Authority,” he stated.
The general registration of voters took place from January 15 until March 2 this year, while the supplementary registration process took place from September 8 to the 20th of this month.
In terms of the provision of section 49 (2) of the Electoral Act, 1992 (Act No.24 of 1992) as amended, the ECN is mandated to hold elections be they national, regional or local authority or by-elections and to ensure good governance and the consolidation of democracy in Namibia.
The ECN has requested N$374 million to carry out its mandate during the 2014/15 financial year in preparation and the conduct of the National and Presidential elections slated for November.