RUNDU – All eyes are what plans the incoming director of elections, the head of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), Dr Paul Isaak, has to check voter apathy. Isaak, who takes up his position on September 2 will have to tackle the reality of declining voters and general voter apathy in the country, ahead of next year’s presidential and national elections.
The soft-spoken Isaak declined to comment on the matter for the time being when contacted for comment yesterday, saying: “The thing is I have not started yet, I will start Monday morning and I must still meet my colleagues. I need time to consult with them then I will be in a better position to answer questions. I do not want to pronounce myself on anything at this moment, please understand. It is not to say I am unwilling to answer questions, but I need to consult colleagues first.”
A random perusal of voter figures from the ECN shows a decline in voters at the polls during elections with a huge difference in the number of registered voters and the number of voters who cast their ballots. Voters have generally been forthcoming when it comes to voting for Presidential and National Assembly elections, whereas the Regional Council and Local Authority elections tend to grab less of the attention of voters.
In the Grootfontein by-election in June this year, only 20 percent of the 16 993 registered voters cast their ballots. This means only about 3 400 people voted of the registered 16 993 voters. The ECN at the time blamed political parties for not doing enough to lure voters to the polls.
Between 1994 and 2009, there were 3 692 602 registered voters, but only 2 676 008 voted during that period. In the 2009 presidential elections, ECN registered nearly 1,2 million voters but only 812 833 voted.
According to the Electoral Act (Section 15), general voter registration should take place at intervals of not more than 10 years. The last general voter registration was in 2003.
Isaak, who holds a Diploma in Theology, as well as a Master of Arts in Religion and a PhD in Theology from the United States, is currently an African Western Philosophies and Contemporary Issues lecturer at the University of Namibia.
| Year | Total registered voters | Total votes cast | Total votes rejected |
| Presidential Elections | |||
| 1994
1999 2004 2009
|
654 189
878 869 977 742 1 181 802 |
497 508
545 465 833 165 812 833 |
12 213
6617 14 770 12 363
|
| Total | 3 692 602 | 2 676 008 | 45963 |
| National Assembly Elections | |||
| 1994 | 654 189 | 497 499 | 7863 |
| 1999 | 878 869 | 541 114 | 5078 |
| 2004 | 977 742 | 829 869 | 10 830 |
| 2009 | 1 181 802 | 811 143 | 10 576 |
| Total | 3 692 602 | 2 679 625 | 34 347 |
Source: Electoral Commission of Namibia website (http://www.ecn.na/election_result.html)
By Mathias Haufiku