Martin Endjala
The Popular Democratic Movement has reiterated that its disapproval of one member of the Electoral Commission was not based on tribal considerations nor on the individual, but rather it questioned the manner in which interviews were conducted without MPs present.
“As a party, we challenged the procedures and selections conducted in appointing the electoral
commission position at a time where no one was allowed at the National Assembly building. And we are not against any individual or trying to be tribalistic for that matter, but we are questioning the
shortlisting processes conducted without NA members say,” PDM MP Elma Dienda stated.
She ventilated the party’s views during yesterday’s National Assembly session, when she responded to MPs who have accused the PDM’s opposition to the appointment of Gerson Sindano to the Electoral Commission as tribal and racist.
Dienda reiterated saying that the fact that they were not informed of the interviews conducted and that fact that the interviews were not publicly livestreamed as was done with the Ombudsman nominees put the progress in question.
She further added that the candidate ought to have had some electorate knowledge as stipulated in the electoral commission act.
“We have nothing against Kavango people, in fact, PDM can attest to it, we have all ethnic groups”, Dienda stated.
Sindano was nominated by President Hage Geingob to fill the position left vacant by Joram Rukambe, who declined the appointment last year.
in 2013 Sindano worked as a senior assistant to Nangolo Mbumba for two years before joining the
University of Namibia, as a full-time English lecturer in 2015 at the University of Namibia Rundu campus.
