Geingos slams ECN for election missteps
Addresses election turmoil
Former Namibian first lady Monica Geingos has called on the country's political leaders to remain calm and demonstrate steady leadership during the 'tense' post-election period.
Former Namibian first lady Monica Geingos has raised concerns about the Electoral Commission of Namibia's (ECN) handling of the recent elections, following reports of ballot shortages, among other challenges.
While rejecting the idea of sabotage, Geingos highlighted the need for transparency and accountability from the electoral body to restore public confidence and trust.
Sharing her perspective in an exclusive interview with South African broadcaster SABC this week, Geingos unpacked the issues surrounding the recently concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.
“In the last 24 hours of Namibia’s election, it’s unclear how significant the problems are or whether they are substantial enough to affect the election's outcome," she said.
"None of us can deny that something went wrong with the electoral body’s ability to manage the process effectively. People need to feel that the commission is in charge and control of these processes. This brings us back to the critical issue of competence and capacity,” Geingos added.
"Whatever happened, and we’re not entirely sure yet, I don’t believe it was sabotage. I believe it was a capacity issue, and this has helped no one, not the opposition and not the ruling party. Whoever wins, a contested victory is undesirable,” she stressed.
Back to the courts again
Geingos noted that the implications of a disputed election outcome could “force the judiciary to intervene, and the judiciary has to determine whether any irregularities materially affected the election outcome”.
"In Namibia, electoral outcomes are almost always contested in court. Over the past three or four election cycles, the courts have consistently ruled that while there were challenges, they were not significant enough to change the outcome. I’m confident this case will also go to the judiciary, which will assess whether the issues were material,” she said.
Geingos emphasised the need to closely examine the issues that led to the challenges during the elections, identifying whether they arose from capacity limitations, human errors, flawed processes – or a combination of these factors.
“If it was a people problem – such as a lack of capacity, poor project management, or incompetence – then we must ask: who will be held accountable? Leadership is critical here. How must leaders behave when facing such challenges?"
She added: "As you’ve pointed out, the electoral commission and the country need to answer key questions.”
True test of leadership
She emphasised that leaders, especially young ones, must demonstrate political maturity, especially now.
“Young leaders are asking for trust with votes, but leading a country is not easy. It requires temperament and an understanding of what’s at stake.
"If political leaders, whether from the ruling party or the opposition, start shouting at each other, it sends the wrong message to their supporters, implying that such behaviour is acceptable,” she cautioned.
Geingos also underscored the critical role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership.
“This is where political talent becomes evident. Who has the temperament to lead a country during tense and difficult times? It does not appear to be an issue of rigging. Reports suggest that even in ruling party strongholds, there were ballot shortages, leading to long queues and people being turned away. If this is true, the ruling party is likely as frustrated as everyone else."
Crisis management
The former first lady also noted that the issues point "to a failure on the part of the electoral commission, which must communicate clearly about what went wrong. Did these issues affect people's constitutional right to vote? Were they significant enough to influence the outcome?”
She warned that the way leaders handle crises speaks volumes about their capabilities.
“This is a time for leaders to remain calm and demonstrate their ability to manage crises effectively. Unfortunately, some leaders are revealing that they lack the political talent needed to govern. It’s not enough to criticise others as bad leaders while proclaiming yourself as good. Leadership is tested in tough times, and how leaders handle such moments speaks volumes".
Geingos underscored that Namibia is fundamentally a well-governed country with a stable, mature democracy.
“We need leaders who can preserve and build on this foundation, not ones who risk undermining it through poor judgement and inflammatory behaviour.”
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While rejecting the idea of sabotage, Geingos highlighted the need for transparency and accountability from the electoral body to restore public confidence and trust.
Sharing her perspective in an exclusive interview with South African broadcaster SABC this week, Geingos unpacked the issues surrounding the recently concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.
“In the last 24 hours of Namibia’s election, it’s unclear how significant the problems are or whether they are substantial enough to affect the election's outcome," she said.
"None of us can deny that something went wrong with the electoral body’s ability to manage the process effectively. People need to feel that the commission is in charge and control of these processes. This brings us back to the critical issue of competence and capacity,” Geingos added.
"Whatever happened, and we’re not entirely sure yet, I don’t believe it was sabotage. I believe it was a capacity issue, and this has helped no one, not the opposition and not the ruling party. Whoever wins, a contested victory is undesirable,” she stressed.
Back to the courts again
Geingos noted that the implications of a disputed election outcome could “force the judiciary to intervene, and the judiciary has to determine whether any irregularities materially affected the election outcome”.
"In Namibia, electoral outcomes are almost always contested in court. Over the past three or four election cycles, the courts have consistently ruled that while there were challenges, they were not significant enough to change the outcome. I’m confident this case will also go to the judiciary, which will assess whether the issues were material,” she said.
Geingos emphasised the need to closely examine the issues that led to the challenges during the elections, identifying whether they arose from capacity limitations, human errors, flawed processes – or a combination of these factors.
“If it was a people problem – such as a lack of capacity, poor project management, or incompetence – then we must ask: who will be held accountable? Leadership is critical here. How must leaders behave when facing such challenges?"
She added: "As you’ve pointed out, the electoral commission and the country need to answer key questions.”
True test of leadership
She emphasised that leaders, especially young ones, must demonstrate political maturity, especially now.
“Young leaders are asking for trust with votes, but leading a country is not easy. It requires temperament and an understanding of what’s at stake.
"If political leaders, whether from the ruling party or the opposition, start shouting at each other, it sends the wrong message to their supporters, implying that such behaviour is acceptable,” she cautioned.
Geingos also underscored the critical role of emotional intelligence in effective leadership.
“This is where political talent becomes evident. Who has the temperament to lead a country during tense and difficult times? It does not appear to be an issue of rigging. Reports suggest that even in ruling party strongholds, there were ballot shortages, leading to long queues and people being turned away. If this is true, the ruling party is likely as frustrated as everyone else."
Crisis management
The former first lady also noted that the issues point "to a failure on the part of the electoral commission, which must communicate clearly about what went wrong. Did these issues affect people's constitutional right to vote? Were they significant enough to influence the outcome?”
She warned that the way leaders handle crises speaks volumes about their capabilities.
“This is a time for leaders to remain calm and demonstrate their ability to manage crises effectively. Unfortunately, some leaders are revealing that they lack the political talent needed to govern. It’s not enough to criticise others as bad leaders while proclaiming yourself as good. Leadership is tested in tough times, and how leaders handle such moments speaks volumes".
Geingos underscored that Namibia is fundamentally a well-governed country with a stable, mature democracy.
“We need leaders who can preserve and build on this foundation, not ones who risk undermining it through poor judgement and inflammatory behaviour.”
[email protected]
[email protected]
#NamibiaDecides2024
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