ECN draws NEFF’s ire over court outcome
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has drawn the ire of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), with the latter accusing the electoral body of failing to restore its status as a registered political party as per a recent High Court judgment that overturned a decision to deregister the party.
NEFF claims the current status quo has placed it in a catch-22 situation because they lack the funds needed to launch their manifesto as well as run their electoral campaign.
“Despite a recent watershed High Court ruling that deemed the deregistration of the NEFF as unfair, the ECN has yet to execute this judgment. Instead, we have witnessed a deliberate delay intended to short-change and undermine NEFF mobilisation efforts ahead of these critical polls,” the party’s deputy commander-in-chief Longinus Iipumbu said in a statement.
This delay is not merely bureaucratic, Iipumbu alleged, but a calculated act that has denied its leadership the right to serve in parliament and hinders their ability to campaign effectively.
“Its egregious aim has been to punish the NEFF in a manner that is both vile and cruel, going against the foundational principles of our democracy. It is tragic that the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries has failed to recognise this and proceeded to declare that Namibia is ready for elections,” Iipumbu said.
He added: “We must alert the masses that this country cannot be ready for an election when a significant constituency is being denied the right to vote for a party of their choice, namely the NEFF.”
Funding hurdles
The red berets claim that the ECNs inaction has left them without access to vital financial resources essential for organising their election campaign and manifesto launch.
“The fact that the ECN has taken over two weeks to study this judgment and continues to delay its execution punishes our party as the election date draws nearer. The commission acted contrary to the noble legal opinion of the attorney general and embarrassed itself by proceeding to erroneously deregister the NEFF,” he said.
Iipumbu said it is perplexing “that such a clear judgment from the court, which aligns with the opinion of the attorney general, should take so long to execute in the interest of our democracy".
"We wish to alert the observers that this is not merely an administrative issue at the commission; it is a profound injustice that attacks the heart of Namibian democracy," Iipumbu said.
“We submit that unfairness towards one political party taints the electoral playing field for all, casting a shadow over the credibility of the upcoming elections. The delay in rectifying this situation reflects a bias that must be addressed if we are to uphold the democratic values that our nation stands for,” he added.
NEFF claims the current status quo has placed it in a catch-22 situation because they lack the funds needed to launch their manifesto as well as run their electoral campaign.
“Despite a recent watershed High Court ruling that deemed the deregistration of the NEFF as unfair, the ECN has yet to execute this judgment. Instead, we have witnessed a deliberate delay intended to short-change and undermine NEFF mobilisation efforts ahead of these critical polls,” the party’s deputy commander-in-chief Longinus Iipumbu said in a statement.
This delay is not merely bureaucratic, Iipumbu alleged, but a calculated act that has denied its leadership the right to serve in parliament and hinders their ability to campaign effectively.
“Its egregious aim has been to punish the NEFF in a manner that is both vile and cruel, going against the foundational principles of our democracy. It is tragic that the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries has failed to recognise this and proceeded to declare that Namibia is ready for elections,” Iipumbu said.
He added: “We must alert the masses that this country cannot be ready for an election when a significant constituency is being denied the right to vote for a party of their choice, namely the NEFF.”
Funding hurdles
The red berets claim that the ECNs inaction has left them without access to vital financial resources essential for organising their election campaign and manifesto launch.
“The fact that the ECN has taken over two weeks to study this judgment and continues to delay its execution punishes our party as the election date draws nearer. The commission acted contrary to the noble legal opinion of the attorney general and embarrassed itself by proceeding to erroneously deregister the NEFF,” he said.
Iipumbu said it is perplexing “that such a clear judgment from the court, which aligns with the opinion of the attorney general, should take so long to execute in the interest of our democracy".
"We wish to alert the observers that this is not merely an administrative issue at the commission; it is a profound injustice that attacks the heart of Namibian democracy," Iipumbu said.
“We submit that unfairness towards one political party taints the electoral playing field for all, casting a shadow over the credibility of the upcoming elections. The delay in rectifying this situation reflects a bias that must be addressed if we are to uphold the democratic values that our nation stands for,” he added.
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