2015-12-03Staff Report 2 Windhoek The tendency of Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) to slam and oppose election results continues, this time around the party alleging that last Friday’s regional council and local authority polls were cooked and “artificial”. The RDP, which is being deserted en masse by its founders, is very unhappy with the results, saying the electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the elections were set in favour of the ruling party.The RDP has opposed the outcome of all elections it had contested since its inception. In Friday’s regional council election the party did not win a single constituency. The party made the latest allegations in a statement released yesterday after Swapo on Friday won 112 of the 121 constituencies. “The outcome of the elections points in the opposite direction of democracy – that of a one-party state as clearly demonstrated by the second chamber composition of only one party (sic). The result is the outcome of the synchronized use of EVMs without a voter-verifiable paper trail, “that are set to determine and produce 80 percent or more for the owner, Swapo, and 20 percent or less to be shared among alternative political parties,” claimed the party’s spokesman Nghiningilwandubo Kashume in the statement. Swapo Secretary General Nangolo Mbumba said “such allegations are a waste of time coming from a party that is busy disintegrating.” “There is no way one can manipulate that machine – in fact we lost some of the constituencies. Do you think if we could manipulate those machines we would have lost some constituencies and seats?” questioned Mbumba. Mbumba urged the RDP to stop questioning poll results and learn from what others are doing. But Kashume urged RDP supporters to remain focused and “not be disheartened by the artificial outcome of the elections”. “It is unfortunate that the Namibian public are repeatedly made to accept that they have voted and mandated the ruling party to treat them the way they have been treated for the past 25 years, with utter disdain while living in shacks, subjected to poor health care, a dysfunctional education system, swimming in an ocean of poverty and eking out a living from the dump sites across the country. In stark contrast, a few are living in opulence, spending in some instances a million dollars on hotel expenses,” he said. Kashume added: “Regrettably, the outcome of the elections, as it is, would undoubtedly facilitate the perpetuation of lack of accountability, corruption, discrimination, wanton wastage of scarce public resources and patronage.” 2015-12-03Staff Report 2
