Staff Reporter
THE eleven political parties, eight independent candidates, and one ratepayers’ association whose nominations for the November elections were initially rejected by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) were granted a final opportunity to re-submit their documents with the required amendments or rectifications by 15:00 today.
Missing the deadline would result in the relevant nominations being duly rejected in accordance with the Electoral Act, said ECN Chief Executive Officer Peter Shaama.
The ECN acknowledged the diligent efforts of the majority of political parties, independent candidates, and associations who successfully lodged their nominations in a timely manner, culminating in the required public sitting on Thursday from 09:00 to 11:00.
The ECN said that in the period preceding and including the nomination day, numerous nomination records were analysed by the returning officers and referred back to political parties, candidates, and associations to allow them to address non-compliance issues.
Five nominations were referred back on 5 October, while four and five were referred back on 12 and 13 October respectively. Seven nominations were referred back on 14 October, while 16 and 33 nominations were referred back on 15 and 16 October respectively.
Shaama said that the required rectifications pertained to eleven political parties, namely: AR, BCP, IPC, LPM, NEFF, NDP, PDM, RDP, RP, SWANU, and UNP.
Eight independent candidates whose applications required rectification were:
Isdor Munkanda Muronga (Mukwe Constituency); Jafet Augustus (Oniipa); Magreth Raundikua Meroro (Okorukambe); Mayavero Protasius Kudumo (Mukwe); Richard Hoaeb (Walvis Bay Rural); Shepherd Malabali Nyambe (Katima Mulilo Urban); Sidney Taapopi Halupe (Swakopmund); and Sophia Swarts (Karasburg East).
Rectification was also required in respect of the Rehoboth Ratepayers Association.
The nominations referred back were premised on various non-compliance issues identified during the scrutiny process, such as:
- Absence of an attachment of a certificate of registration;
- Non-affixation of the party or organisation seal;
- Unsigned nominations;
Failure to meet the gender representation threshold in respect of local authority nominations.
The Electoral Act empowers the returning officer for a constituency, upon rejecting a nomination, to:
“…afford the registered political party or the persons by whom the nomination was submitted an opportunity, at any time before the close of the sitting, to rectify the nomination or to duly nominate any other qualified person as candidate for the constituency.”
Shaama, on behalf of the returning officers, addressed correspondence to the respective political parties, associations, and prospective candidates to urgently address the outstanding issues, with a communication granting a final opportunity to effect corrections. The deadline for all rectifications via the PPCM portal was extended to Friday, 17 October 2025, at 15:00.
