ECN handpicking ballot paper printer may compromise electoral process: Political parties

Windhoek: The decision by the Electoral Commission of Namibia ( ECN ) to select a service provider for printing ballot papers for the upcoming general elections undermines the Namibian electoral process . This is according to leaders of the political parties that are going to contest the Presidential and National Assembly on 27 November 2024 . The ECN on Wednesday announced that 21 parties have registered candidates for parliamentary elections and that 15 have also registered presidential candidates . However , several political leaders expressed to Nampa that the decision by the ECN to cancel the open bid for printing ballot papers is bad for Namibian democracy . Ivan Skrywer of the Landless People ' s Movement said the commission was aware of the procurement process for the printing of the ballot papers which was on their election calendar . ' Our concern is that if ECN hand picks a company to do the ballot printing , does it really speak to the phrase ' free and fair election ',' he said , adding that free and fair elections are what the ECN should strive for . The deputy president of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters , Kalimbo Iipumbu , predicted that this year ' s elections will be challenged , while cautioning that any irregularities in the printing of ballot papers might ' cause chaos .' The secretary general of the Popular Democratic Movement , Manuel Ngaringombe also expressed concern about the handpicking of a company to print ballot papers . ' It ' s a serious concern to the country to have only one tender . As PDM we condemn this . We just hope that the ballot papers won ' t be a stumbling block ,' he said . Nikanor Ndjoze , the secretary general of the Rally for Democracy and Progress , said they have a problem with the direct procurement of the ballot papers . ' That ' s where the whole entire process of rigging starts , because when this tender is only given to a specific company that will be handpicked by the Electoral Commission through direct procurement , then you ' ve already compromised th e process ,' Ndjoze said . Source: The Namibia News Agency