Running the Electoral Commission of Namibia is not for the weak, the institution’s outgoing boss Theo Mujoro says.
Mujoro confirmed that he is vacating the position – which has seen him loathed and loved in almost equal degree – claiming he is bowing out with his head held high.
“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,” he said, noting the commission will remain a vibrant and resilient organisation beyond his stint.
One thing was clear from Mujoro: he has no regrets.
“Running an election management body in any country is not an easy task, and definitely not for the faint of heart.
Given the sheer size and enormity of national elections, organising elections is the most complex project any nation undertakes outside of preparing for war,” he reasoned.
But he braved the storm, and can only be grateful for having had the opportunity to lead one of the key state institutions.
Another lesson he has learned, the hard way, is that delivering a perfect election is a tall order.
“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 Presidential and National Assembly 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 noted.
Own decision
Mujoro (48) first joined the commission as an information officer at the turn of the century in 2001, aged just 26.
He has never looked back since. On 1 February 2001, he started his first assignment as an executive assistant to the director of elections until 2008. He then moved up a notch to the position of deputy director: registration and planning until 2012, before ascending the role of director of operations.
Now at his prime in the corporate arena, the former journalist elected not to reapply for the hot seat.
Asked if the entity would lose out on his institutional memory, Mujoro disagreed.
“The ECN is not about individuals or personalities, and should never be. Over the years, we have built a critical mass of experienced and dedicated people who can run elections. I am convinced that with the right support, the colleagues I am leaving behind will make the country proud during the forthcoming electoral cycle,” he stated.
On his future plans, Mujoro said there is no immediate job offer on his table, but he has a lot to offer.
“I possess relevant skills and experience to make a contribution through other institutions, or venture into other spaces. I have not secured any job opportunities at this point and farming is non-negotiable, regardless of situation,” the ever-composed operator said.
Politics 101
While at the helm of the ECN, political actors across the divide would normally bay for Mujoro’s blood.
It is a position that has attracted widespread criticism, insults, harassment, personal threats, conspiracy theories and sometimes outright lies, he reminisced.
“It has been a challenging job with many ups and downs, and I gave it my best shot. It was an honour and a privilege, and I am forever grateful to have served our beautiful republic in that capacity,” he asserted.
At the pinnacle of the ECN, Mujoro was always accused of favouring the governing party, or taking instructions from power brokers.
“It is important to remain true to the values of non-partisanship and political neutrality. Treat all stakeholders equally, and remain humble and respectful. Don’t engage in small talks with politicians, and do not do any favours to political players, either big or small,” he pointed to some of his attributes which made the execution of his mandate easier.
In fact, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani questioned the autonomy of the ECN.
“The biggest pain on the electoral commission is also that it is a body controlled by State intelligence. And that shouldn’t be the case. So, in terms of [electoral] independence, he hasn’t done much,” Venaani charged.
However, Mujoro said those assertions are devoid of any truth.
“I never experienced any political pressure or coercion from anyone during my entire time with the ECN. [The year] 2019 was a particularly rough time for me, and this was mainly due to events in the political environment outside the control of the ECN,” he conceded to some form of external pressure during his rule.
Conundrums
It was also during Mujoro’s tenure that the PDM presented a pair of parliamentary lists, just for the Supreme Court to declare one unconstitutional, forcing six MPs to be ejected from parliament and replaced by new ones.
Then there was the 2019 election challenge.
“The ECN used EVMs without the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) during the 2019 elections. This was entirely lawful, and done within the provisions of the Electoral Act. Following the said elections, the Supreme Court of Namibia handed down a milestone judgement on January 2020 to the effect that the ECN should not use EVMs without the simultaneous use of a paper trail. The ECN has abided by this judgement since,” he seemingly tried to absolve the institution.
Missing laptops
When Mujoro leaves the ECN head office in Van Rhijn Street in less than 60 days, he will do so with a dark cloud hovering over his head.
At the moment, an investigation is underway as to how over 100 laptops vanished into thin air and without a trace.
He is, however, adamant that unscrupulous elements at the entity took advantage of loopholes, which have since been tightened.
He added that a full-scale disciplinary process is underway, and two staff members are on suspension as a result.
“A lot has since been done in terms of securing ECN installations and beefing up security around electoral equipment and all ECN assets,” he said assuringly.
Stooge
When all is said and done, Mujoro was perceived as a “stooge” who served at the pleasure of his political masters, local political pundit Rui Tyitende charged.
“The contentious presidential and parliamentary elections of 2019 were marred by allegations of irregularities and outright rigging,” the outspoken analyst said.
The sharp-tongued Tyitende also pointed to the use of electronic voting machines without the VVPAT as a gross violation of the Electoral Act, “and the judgement by the Supreme Court undermined the integrity and credibility of the electoral outcome”.
“The other issue that Mujoro failed to address is continuous voter registration that ought to take place throughout the year to accommodate eligible voters who fail to register during the other two processes of registration,” the political scientist said.
The ECN, he added, likewise failed to hold political parties accountable as far as the funds they get from the State purse is concerned. Out of 10, “I would score Mujoro a five,” added Tyitende.
Ode to Mujoro
Another analyst, lawyer Natjirikasorua Tjirera said Mujoro captained the Namibian electoral ship during the most trying of times.
To the outgoing electoral boss, he said: “All in all, as much as he did not do much to improve the trust of political parties and to win the confidence of the public, the fact that he steered the electoral ship and complied with all legal imperatives will make me grade him a pass, though not much.”
Tjirera highlighted that Mujoro steered the ECN at a time when daggers were drawn and the relative comfort of Swapo was being challenged, losing key municipalities such as Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.
“It was natural that the challenge of managing elections will be mountainous. Whether he conquered that seemingly insurmountable challenge is a tricky question. I’m not really a fan of blaming technocrats for policy decisions, but the position of chief of elections is a strategic one which needs utmost diligence,” Tjirera observed.
Mujoro, the lawyer conceded, was bombarded with legal and political challenges.
“The introduction of EVMs without a paper trail and the commission’s refusal to succumb to pressure despite them having a poor case, did not augur well. From far, I did not see the ECN acting in a manner that instils confidence in the electorate and the political parties,” he said, pointing to the recent case in which the Landless People’s Movement complained about the late registration of some voters.
He then had some pearls of wisdom for the elections’ overseer.
“The ECN should allow political parties to own the electoral process, allow political parties to advice, within permissible limits, on how elections should be conducted. The ECN should realise that opposition parties do not trust the police, and their distrust is based on solid grounds. The ECN should thus look at how the process of ensuring the integrity of electoral materials can be done to boost confidence and trust in political parties.
I would say the ECN, with him at the helm, did not achieve that. It is my honest opinion that the ECN is still far from being the ideal electoral body.”
-emumbuu@nepc.com.na