Stefanus Nashama
Namibians residing in foreign countries who are above the age of 18 will cast their votes for the presidential and national assembly elections on 13 November.
This was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), De Wet Siluka, on Wednesday.
“The elections will take place in all Namibian diplomatic missions on 13 November,” he said.
According to Siluka, ECN will deploy 35 teams to Namibia’s diplomatic missions abroad.
“The ECN has established 567 registration teams that will be deployed locally, while 35 teams will serve at the Namibian Diplomatic Missions. Registration points will be open from 08:00 to 19:00, Monday through Saturday, throughout the country and at all Namibian diplomatic missions,” he stated.
When asked about possible irregularities in conducting the general registration and election in foreign countries, Siluka said it was not the first time the ECN had to fulfil this function.
“What irregularities? We are not doing this for the first time. We have done it for many years,” he responded.
He explained that the dates for general voter registration in the country and in foreign nations remain unchanged, from 3 June to 1 August.
“Those days apply to all foreign nations in accordance with the 2024 Electoral Calendar,” he said.
The country has scheduled the presidential and national assembly elections for 27 November.
Last week, the ECN announced that it had sent out voter registration materials and equipment to all the regions and Namibian diplomatic missions abroad in preparation for general voter registration.
This is in line with the timelines set in the 2024 Electoral Calendar.
The commission was informed that the equipment and materials were dispatched to the regions in the country via NAMPOST Courier, accompanied by the Namibian Police, following ECN Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The same materials were also sent internationally using the secure Diplomatic Postal Services of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation.
Only 2024-issued cards guarantee eligibility for the November election.
The Namibian Embassy in the United States of America recently urged Namibians to participate in general voter registration and elections.
The commission has not yet announced the number of Namibian diplomatic missions participating in this process.
