Nghikembua visits registration points to assess progress at Rundu

A month after the voter registration process started, chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) Elsie Nghikembua on Wednesday visited various voter registration points in Rundu to assess how they are progressing. Speaking to Nampa on the sidelines, Nghikembua said in the third week after the voter registration started, they could see the process picking up in terms of the number of eligible voters coming through. 'In the beginning, people were still finding out where to go and register and what the requirements are. But I think the nation now understands the message and people are turning up to register,' she said. As a commission, ECN has also done an assessment on where the gaps are, she explained. The chairperson said ECN saw a need to establish additional registration points in some of the regions such as Rundu in the Kavango East Region. One of the additional registration points is based at the Rundu State Hospital. 'Strengthening the presence of the commission in all regions is impo rtant,' she added. On average, the ECN is now standing at 31 000 registered voters per day. 'The commission is happy with that and we would really like to sustain that. The number should not go down, it should improve,' she said. Meanwhile, Nghikembua pointed out that there are regions that are a bit of a concern where the turnout of eligible voters seems to be low. One such region is the Omaheke Region, she highlighted, adding that the commission is doing its best to involve the leadership of the region to add their voice to that of ECN. 'In the end, it is a voluntary process but it is something that is of importance to the nation. It would be great if all eligible voters can come out and register in order to vote on 27 November,' Nghikembua said. Source: The Namibia Press Agency