RDP challenges ECN over election-list rejection
‘No one will stop us’
Nehova said not only did the ECN reject the party's election list, but the commission failed to refund a N$20 000 deposit RDP paid.
The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) has accused the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) of violating the Electoral Act by refusing to accept the party’s election list.
RDP president Kandy Nehova claimed the party has been the ECN’s “main target” since the commission’s inception, leading to the party not being able to participate in the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the 2020 regional and local authority elections.
Speaking at a press conference this week, Nehova said on top of failing to refund a N$20 000 deposit the party paid for its election list, the ECN could not provide substantial legal reasoning for the rejection.
‘No one will stop us’
RDP this week announced that it will participate in the upcoming elections.
“Despite the ECN, courts and the Speaker of the National Assembly making it impossible for us, we are determined to participate in this forthcoming elections and no one will prevent us from taking to the polls in this democratic country,” the party’s president noted.
Nehova further urged the ECN to reconsider its decision to block the party from participating in the elections. “The ECN is hell-bent on the RDP’s destruction and they have allowed election lists by individuals who are not authorised representatives of the party,” he noted.
This after the ECN reportedly accepted an election list from Mike Kavekotora, whom the party had already suspended.
More fire
According to Nehova, the party’s efforts to lodge a case against the electoral commission for refusing to accept its electoral lists proved futile. The matter was active on the court roll for over three years, he said, adding that the judges presiding over the matter and the appointed electoral panel cited being conflicted.
“The Electoral Court of Namibia, after a lengthy process, concluded that they have no jurisdiction over the matter. This only added fire [to the situation],” noted Nehova.
Meanwhile, RDP’s secretary of legal and constitutional affairs Amanda Titus said there aren’t two fractions in the party as has been claimed, adding that ECN, the court and parliament took it upon themselves to consider Kavekotora’s election list instead of the party's legitimate list.
“ECN violated the Electoral Act by rejecting our electoral list without putting the legal reasons for the rejection in writing. The Act calls for the ECN to be impartial and follow the rules, without hiding behind the guise of being conflicted.”
‘Hold ECN accountable’
She further emphasised that Sections 73 to 75 of the Electoral Act clearly stipulate what must be done. “We have the right representative, elected by the central committee, but the court refused to hear the merits of our case, rather opting for the easy route of dismissing the matter. We hope ECN can do right by us and accept our election list. Hopefully, the new chairperson [Elsie Nghikembua] at ECN will abide by the rule of law.”
The electoral commission must be held accountable, Titus stressed.
Questions sent to ECN’s spokesperson De Wet Siluka went unanswered.
RDP president Kandy Nehova claimed the party has been the ECN’s “main target” since the commission’s inception, leading to the party not being able to participate in the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the 2020 regional and local authority elections.
Speaking at a press conference this week, Nehova said on top of failing to refund a N$20 000 deposit the party paid for its election list, the ECN could not provide substantial legal reasoning for the rejection.
‘No one will stop us’
RDP this week announced that it will participate in the upcoming elections.
“Despite the ECN, courts and the Speaker of the National Assembly making it impossible for us, we are determined to participate in this forthcoming elections and no one will prevent us from taking to the polls in this democratic country,” the party’s president noted.
Nehova further urged the ECN to reconsider its decision to block the party from participating in the elections. “The ECN is hell-bent on the RDP’s destruction and they have allowed election lists by individuals who are not authorised representatives of the party,” he noted.
This after the ECN reportedly accepted an election list from Mike Kavekotora, whom the party had already suspended.
More fire
According to Nehova, the party’s efforts to lodge a case against the electoral commission for refusing to accept its electoral lists proved futile. The matter was active on the court roll for over three years, he said, adding that the judges presiding over the matter and the appointed electoral panel cited being conflicted.
“The Electoral Court of Namibia, after a lengthy process, concluded that they have no jurisdiction over the matter. This only added fire [to the situation],” noted Nehova.
Meanwhile, RDP’s secretary of legal and constitutional affairs Amanda Titus said there aren’t two fractions in the party as has been claimed, adding that ECN, the court and parliament took it upon themselves to consider Kavekotora’s election list instead of the party's legitimate list.
“ECN violated the Electoral Act by rejecting our electoral list without putting the legal reasons for the rejection in writing. The Act calls for the ECN to be impartial and follow the rules, without hiding behind the guise of being conflicted.”
‘Hold ECN accountable’
She further emphasised that Sections 73 to 75 of the Electoral Act clearly stipulate what must be done. “We have the right representative, elected by the central committee, but the court refused to hear the merits of our case, rather opting for the easy route of dismissing the matter. We hope ECN can do right by us and accept our election list. Hopefully, the new chairperson [Elsie Nghikembua] at ECN will abide by the rule of law.”
The electoral commission must be held accountable, Titus stressed.
Questions sent to ECN’s spokesperson De Wet Siluka went unanswered.
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