Six political parties deregistered in 2024
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has deregistered six political parties this year, mainly due to non-compliance with certain provisions of the country's electoral law.
The move has been seen as a campaign to reduce the number of political parties that will participate in the upcoming national elections. The axing started in February when the deregistration of three dormant parties was revealed.
At that time, the Democratic Coalition of Namibia (DCN), the Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN) and the Namibia Democratic Movement for Change (NDMC) were removed from the list.
Official figures indicate that the commission currently has 17 registered parties on its books.
Last month’s decision to also show the Christian Democratic Voice (CDV), the Democratic Party of Namibia (DPN) and the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) the door brings the total of axed parties to six.
10 May, not 30 June
NEFF’s attorney Kadhila Amoomo said the ECN did not have the right to take this action before a 30 June deadline. CDV parliamentarian Gotthard Kandume, who now has to give up his seat in the National Assembly along with two NEFF parliamentarians, also referred to 30 June, as previously reported by Namibian Sun.
The parties had until that date to publish their audited financial statements, they said.
Chief electoral officer Peter Shaama released an explanation just after midnight on Thursday. He referred to the requirements of sections 140 and 158 of the 2014 Electoral Act regarding financial record-keeping, disclosure and state funding for parties present in parliament.
According to Shaama, the ECN has been urging all political parties to comply with the law since 2019. Section 152 of the Act allows the ECN to cancel parties’ registration after they have been approached and informed in person.
He said this was done in June 2023, but specifically the CDV could only submit statements for the 2021/2022 financial year thereafter. By 25 April, the CDV was given a final 14-day extension, but no financial records have been submitted to date, he said.
Meanwhile, the DPN failed to respond to any communication, Shaama said.
Regarding the NEFF, he noted that financial statements for 2020/2021, 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 were outstanding, despite promises from party auditors and repeated extensions, and only statements up to 2021 and 2022 were submitted to the commission by 31 May. The 2022/2023 statements remain outstanding and were also not printed in two national newspapers by the 10 May deadline, as required by law, he said.
He explained that the 30 June deadline is for the submission of financial statements three months after the end of a political party’s financial year, in this case for 2023/2024, and has nothing to do with the 10 May deadline for disclosure of statements.
Not easy to decipher
The ruling Swapo Party, the United Democratic Front of Namibia (UDF) and the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) all had abbreviated financial statements published on Friday, the last possible printing day before 30 June, in the New Era (IPC), Republikein, Namibian Sun and Allgemeine Zeitung newspapers.
The printed statements are not easy to decipher, but it appears that Swapo had assets of about N$12 million by March this year and spent almost the entire N$96.5 million allocated to it for the 2024 financial year on political expenses.
The UDF’s printed statements are up to March 2023 and indicate assets of N$436 346, with income of N$3.462 million against expenses of N$3.511 million for the financial year. The IPC statements are up to 31 December 2023, and indicate assets of just over N$767 000, income of about N$3.8 million and expenses of N$4.458 million for that financial year.
The NEFF’s financial statements were published in Namibian Sun on 26 June. The party's report for the financial year to February 2023 indicated assets of almost N$985 000, income of about N$1.73 million and expenses of about N$2.36 million to show a loss of about N$686 500.
According to NEFF’s Michael Amushelelo, the ECN is “completely biased and corrupt”, adding that the commission “is not an independent institution that can be trusted to hold our elections in a free and fair manner”. Furthermore, a march he called for 5 July against the ECN was suspended upon legal advice, he said.
The move has been seen as a campaign to reduce the number of political parties that will participate in the upcoming national elections. The axing started in February when the deregistration of three dormant parties was revealed.
At that time, the Democratic Coalition of Namibia (DCN), the Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN) and the Namibia Democratic Movement for Change (NDMC) were removed from the list.
Official figures indicate that the commission currently has 17 registered parties on its books.
Last month’s decision to also show the Christian Democratic Voice (CDV), the Democratic Party of Namibia (DPN) and the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) the door brings the total of axed parties to six.
10 May, not 30 June
NEFF’s attorney Kadhila Amoomo said the ECN did not have the right to take this action before a 30 June deadline. CDV parliamentarian Gotthard Kandume, who now has to give up his seat in the National Assembly along with two NEFF parliamentarians, also referred to 30 June, as previously reported by Namibian Sun.
The parties had until that date to publish their audited financial statements, they said.
Chief electoral officer Peter Shaama released an explanation just after midnight on Thursday. He referred to the requirements of sections 140 and 158 of the 2014 Electoral Act regarding financial record-keeping, disclosure and state funding for parties present in parliament.
According to Shaama, the ECN has been urging all political parties to comply with the law since 2019. Section 152 of the Act allows the ECN to cancel parties’ registration after they have been approached and informed in person.
He said this was done in June 2023, but specifically the CDV could only submit statements for the 2021/2022 financial year thereafter. By 25 April, the CDV was given a final 14-day extension, but no financial records have been submitted to date, he said.
Meanwhile, the DPN failed to respond to any communication, Shaama said.
Regarding the NEFF, he noted that financial statements for 2020/2021, 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 were outstanding, despite promises from party auditors and repeated extensions, and only statements up to 2021 and 2022 were submitted to the commission by 31 May. The 2022/2023 statements remain outstanding and were also not printed in two national newspapers by the 10 May deadline, as required by law, he said.
He explained that the 30 June deadline is for the submission of financial statements three months after the end of a political party’s financial year, in this case for 2023/2024, and has nothing to do with the 10 May deadline for disclosure of statements.
Not easy to decipher
The ruling Swapo Party, the United Democratic Front of Namibia (UDF) and the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) all had abbreviated financial statements published on Friday, the last possible printing day before 30 June, in the New Era (IPC), Republikein, Namibian Sun and Allgemeine Zeitung newspapers.
The printed statements are not easy to decipher, but it appears that Swapo had assets of about N$12 million by March this year and spent almost the entire N$96.5 million allocated to it for the 2024 financial year on political expenses.
The UDF’s printed statements are up to March 2023 and indicate assets of N$436 346, with income of N$3.462 million against expenses of N$3.511 million for the financial year. The IPC statements are up to 31 December 2023, and indicate assets of just over N$767 000, income of about N$3.8 million and expenses of N$4.458 million for that financial year.
The NEFF’s financial statements were published in Namibian Sun on 26 June. The party's report for the financial year to February 2023 indicated assets of almost N$985 000, income of about N$1.73 million and expenses of about N$2.36 million to show a loss of about N$686 500.
According to NEFF’s Michael Amushelelo, the ECN is “completely biased and corrupt”, adding that the commission “is not an independent institution that can be trusted to hold our elections in a free and fair manner”. Furthermore, a march he called for 5 July against the ECN was suspended upon legal advice, he said.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article