By Foibe Paavo
SWAKOPMUND, 04 June – The Electoral Commission of Namibia nomination process for candidates who will contest the Swakopmund constituency by-election scheduled for August this year, has ended.
The by-elections were necessitated by the abrupt departure of Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) councillor Ciske Smith-Howard. In accordance with the Regional Councils Act, she ceased to be a councillor because she was nominated as a candidate by a political party.
The nomination process took place from 17 June to 2 July 2022 with Dantu Zerold for UDF, Dausab Rodger for NEFF, Kativa Louisa for IPC, Musheka Tangeni for LPM, Narib Williward for IC, Pascheka Lelani for PDM, Salomon Nehemia for SWAPO, and Von Seydlitz-Kurzbach for UPM being nominated.
In a media statement released on Sunday, July 3, the ECN said it will now invite bids from companies to print ballot papers in line with the Public Procurement Act.
The awarding of the tender will take place on 18 July 2022 and all nominated candidates will be invited to verify the correctness of the final ballot paper samples on 29 July 2022.
The statement further said all sensitive materials for the by-election will be dispatched between 05-06 August 2022 under strict security.
The ECN said a total of 145 polling officials will be recruited and divided into 29 teams – 26 fixed and 3 mobile teams – for the management of the by-election.
The training of political party agents and police officers will take place on 4-5 August 2022 while the training of polling officials will be conducted from 6-8 August 2022.
ECN further said, in an effort to boost voter participation in the by-election, the voter education campaign will be intensified from 18 July.
