Sostenus Wilherm
The Independence Patriots for Change (IPC) on Thursday challenged the process used to nominate members of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), saying it is constitutionally flawed.
It warned that it will approach the High Court if the National Assembly proceeds with approving the nominees.
In a statement issued on Thursday, IPC president Dr Panduleni Itula said the party had reviewed two letters sent by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to the Speaker of the National Assembly on 8 June and 10 June 2026, recommending Gerson Sindano as ECN chairperson and Emmerentia Leonard and Julieta Diva Ferreira as commissioners.
Itula argued that the President’s letters referred to the nominees being recommended for approval rather than formally appointed before parliamentary approval, which he said does not comply with the Constitution.
“The Constitution says ‘appointed’. The President’s letters say ‘nominate… for approval… for appointment’. These are not the same words. They are not the same legal act. They are not the same constitutional process,” Itula said.
The IPC also questioned the wording of Sindano’s proposed term of office, saying it does not clearly state the duration of his appointment, and raised concerns that documents required from nominees, including sworn declarations regarding political affiliations, were not included in the information presented to Parliament.
The opposition party said it would formally object to any vote on the nominations in the National Assembly and called on Nandi-Ndaitwah to withdraw the current nominations and restart the process in line with constitutional requirements.
Itula further warned that if Parliament proceeds with the vote despite IPC’s objections, the party will seek urgent relief from the High Court to halt the appointments pending a constitutional challenge.
“We are not questioning the personal qualifications of the nominees. We are questioning the process. And the process is not ours to question, it is the Constitution’s to require,” Itula said.
