Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The Popular Democratic Movement’s Member of Parliament, Elima Dienda said she is perplexed by the reduction of N$15 million in the Electoral Commission of Namibia’s (ECN) budget.
Dienda was of the opinion that this is an oversight that seems inconsistent with the fact that ECN is scheduled to organise Presidential and National Assembly elections this year.
She also raised concerns about the budget allocation for Planning, Registration and Voting and staff remuneration which she said has been cut by N$4 million.
“This raises a critical question: Given the upcoming elections, won’t there be a need for additional part-time staff to manage the process efficiently? How are we to accommodate this necessity within the reduced budget, and from which allocation will the requisite funds be sourced? The absence of a detailed staffing list for this vote further complicates the matter, contrasting with the transparency observed in other votes,” Dienda enquired.
The lawmaker further highlighted that the budget for transportation has surged from N$13 million to N$39 million. Prompting questions regarding the strategy for vehicle procurement for election activities on how ECN is going acquire vehicles. While the allocation for operational equipment has dramatically decreased from N$93 million to N$22 million.
“Considering our return to a manual voting system, this significant cut is puzzling. Essential election materials such as ballot papers and pens must be procured. How can we reconcile this diminished budget with the comprehensive needs of conducting elections, especially when considering the expanded scope of activities this year compared to the previous one? questioned Dienda.
She was contributing to the second reading debate of the 2024 to 2025 National Budget which was tabled in Parliament a few weeks ago by the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi.
She was contributing to the second reading debate of the 2024 to 2025 National Budget which was tabled in Parliament a few weeks ago by the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Iipumbu Shiimi.
