Andreas Thomas
In a grassroots effort to increase voter participation, McHenry Venaani, the leader of Namibia’s official opposition, is going door-to-door across the country to urge citizens to register to vote in the national elections, scheduled for November 2024.
Amidst the increased political activities, he told Nampa on Wednesday that he is actively engaging and highlighting the importance of voting in shaping the future of the nation.
The leader of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has been conducting meet-and-greet activities in regions across the country.
This week, he visited villages in the Oshikoto region, which will be followed by similar visits in the Ohangwena region.
Venaani last month visited areas in //Kharas.
“Communities must directly engage leaders on the ground. We are doing it to mobilise people to register because we realised that most of the time, opposition parties are losing ground because when less and less people go to the polls, the benefit goes to the ruling party. We realised that mistake for a number of years that we don’t galvanise voter registration as a key tool. This time around, we are doing it on the ground,” he said.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia has announced it will conduct the general registration of voters from 3 June to 1 August 2024.
According to the election commission, 1 731 790 Namibian citizens are eligible to register as voters.
Venaani, who is expected to lead the official opposition in the Presidential and National Assembly elections, has made it a part of his political programme to visit people at the grassroots level.
He said he has visited 875 villages across the country in the past three years, and made it a point to visit each place three times.
This is his second round of visits – and between July and August, he will be conducting a third round of countrywide visits before PDM begins with political rallies.
He said the visits allow him to have direct contact with the people.
“My message is that this country is a great country, and we need to protect it. We need to create the necessary jobs, prioritise agriculture, and build the country.
So, the language that I am spreading here is the language of change, and it is resonating with voters because people want change. I have been consistently on the ground, and they are attesting to the fact that I am the leader who not only comes during the elections,” Venaani said.
Meanwhile, the PDM is currently finalising its election manifesto, and he has said the party is expected to hold its elective congress in mid-July or early August 2024.
-Nampa