Allexer Namundjembo
The printing of the ballot papers for the Guinas Constituency by-election is complete, with the final batch ready for transport to Tsumeb on Monday.
This follows a rigorous process led by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) and observed by representatives from the two contesting political parties, the SWAPO and the Landless People’s Movement (LPM).
Local printing company Solitaire Press printed the ballots on 10 January.
Solitaire Press was awarded a tender valued at N$332 793.90 for the design, printing, and delivery of 4,600 ballots.
The price of N$72.34 per ballot paper has faced criticism from activist Michael Amushelelo.
Amushelelo said he has extensive knowledge and experience in the printing industry.
“This tender is overpriced. How the hell does one charge N$72.34 for a single ballot paper? This means that the previous elections’ ballot papers were printed at a cost of N$231 million, considering they procured 3.2 million ballot papers. Someone has inflated these prices heavily, perhaps to ensure kickbacks,” Amushelelo said.
NamPol will transport these ballot papers and store them in Tsumeb until the election.
The by-election scheduled for 17 January will see siblings Moses Khumub representing SWAPO and Franciskus Khumub of LPM competing for the office.
The ECN has rolled out voter education initiatives to inform the electorate about the importance of participating in the election and understanding the candidates contesting for the Guinas Constituency seat.
ECN Chief Electoral Referenda, Peter Shaama, announced that various communication platforms are being utilised to conduct voter education.
“The commission is using various communication platforms to educate the electorate on the importance of voting. This includes face-to-face meetings with voters,” Shaama said.
The ECN has also begun training fifty polling officials, set to be deployed across polling stations.
This training, running from 11 to 15 January, follows the earlier training of police officers and political party agents, completed on 9 and 10 January, respectively.
Shaama also confirmed that duplicate voter cards will be issued from 14 to 16 January 2025 for those who have lost their cards.
“Anyone who lost their cards is entitled to apply for a duplicate voter’s card. Each applicant is required to provide proof of identity and a police declaration stating the circumstances under which they are applying for a duplicate,” he said.
