Niël Terblanché
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has officially registered the Action Democratic Movement (ADM) and Affirmative Repositioning (AR) as political parties that will participate in the Presidential and National Assembly Elections in November.
The official registration was confirmed by the ECN’s Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer, Petrus Shaama, after a rigorous process as prescribed by the Electoral Act 5 of 2014.
Shaama said that upon receiving an application, the Electoral Commission conducts a due diligence verification process.
If the application meets all requirements, a notice is published in the Government Gazette to allow for objections.
Objections can be raised within 30 days, focusing on issues such as fraudulent signatures or names not appearing on the national voters’ register.
He added that the registration of new political parties in Namibia is governed by strict procedures detailed in sections 135, 136, and 137 of the Electoral Act.
The process requires applicants to provide written proof of their principal objects, pay a registration fee, submit a draft constitution, and gather a declaration signed by at least 3 500 individuals from a minimum of seven regions in Namibia.
Shaama said that these signatories must appear on the national voters’ register.
He indicated that the ADM submitted its application on 28 August 2023.
After completing the due diligence process, the party’s registration notice was published on April 18, 2024.
Although no objections were initially noted, the Commission received 25 complaints after the deadline, alleging fraudulent signatures.
“However, due to the late submission of these complaints, they could not be considered as formal objections under the Electoral Act,” he said.
The Commission has referred these complaints to the Namibian Police for further investigation.
Shaama said that should fraudulent activity be proven, the Commission will reconsider the registration status of ADM.
AR’s application was received on June 26, 2023.
The process involved extensive engagements due to the pre-existing use of the name “AR” by another organisation.
Following the required name change and publication notice on 8 May 2024, the 30-day objection period saw three complaints of fraudulent signatures.
The Commission reviewed and upheld these complaints but confirmed that AR still met the minimum support requirements.
Shaama indicated that these complaints have also been referred to the Namibian Police for further investigation.
The Commission clarified that a declaration of support for a political party’s registration does not equate to membership in the party.
“This distinction is important as it addresses concerns raised in some complaints,” Shaama said.
He reiterated the ECN’s commitment to uphold the integrity of the registration process and will act against any proven fraudulent conduct.
