ONGWEDIVA – Omusati elections coordinator Leonard Ndazapo says one day of voting is not adequate for regions with high numbers of voters, namely Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Khomas.
His advice is that the powers that be possibly amend the Electoral Act to extend to at least two the number of voting days so that no one is disenchafranchised or denied their right to vote.
Omusati, Ohangwena and Khomas have the highest number of registered voters. According to the data posted on the Electoral Commission of Namibia’s (ECN) website in July before the supplementary registration, Omusati had 129 328 registered voters, Ohangwena 122 087 and Khomas had the highest number of registered voters of 212 346.
Other regions had registered voters ranging between 30 000 and 90 000. Zambezi had 39 290 registered voters, Oshikoto – 95 080, Omaheke – 38 964, Kavango West – 45 961, Kavango East – 67 095, Erongo – 79 882 and //Karas had 44 558.
“Small regions can definitely do it in one day, however, with the big regions it will only be possible if there is an increase in the polling sites to reduce the long queues experienced during the election day on Friday,” said Ndazapo.
In Ohangwena and Omusati regions, voters continued to cast their votes until the early hours of Saturday. ECN’s coordinator in Ohangwena Region, Hiskia Mukete, said voters were still casting their votes by Saturday morning. In Omusati the last voters were only able to vote between 03h00 and 04h00 on Saturday.
Ndazapo related that one fundamental concern is unforeseen circumstances, adding that there is a possibility that many voters in the Okahao constituency did not cast their votes after the area received rain resulting in a power failure, but ECN says EVMs do not rely on power from the main grid but on an internal power source with enough power to last two days.
This situation compelled voters to leave polling stations without having cast their votes.
Some polling centres operated until way past midnight and voting was disrupted by heavy rains and power failures prompting some voters to desert polling stations in frustration without having voted.
Ndazapo however said no voters were turned away by any ECN officials. “It is their democratic right and everyone that was at the polling station by nine had voted,” related Ndazapo.
Similarly, in Ohangwena Region the regional election coordinator Mukete revealed he did not receive any reports of voters being turned away hence voting continued until the next day.
New Era was informed that sleepy voters at Odibo mobile polling station overnighted at the centre waiting to cast their votes.
Mukete confirmed he was aware of ECN officials also arriving at polling stations late.
Ndazapo said it was a tough job to coordinate the election. However, he expressed that in future election materials or resources be commensurate with the number of voters registered.
In addition ECN officials aknowleged that there were complaints of voting being slow, but Ndazapo attributed this to a high number of elderly voters that needed assistance.
“Elderly citizens spent ten or more minutes being assisted,” related Ndazapo.
Overall in Omusati Region the majority of voters in the region were youth and elderly citizens.
By Nuusita Ashipala