Namibia: ECN to probe RDP allegations

Namibia: Electoral Commission to Probe RDP Allegations
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says it takes serious exception to allegations made that the Swapo Party members were selected to work as registration officials for persons who supposedly are supporters of other political parties. The Director of the ECN, Philemon Kanime, said the allegations are receiving attention at the highest level and the ECN will investigate those claims and get to the bottom of the issue as a matter of urgency. Kanime said the ECN has received a total of 214 applications from the Oshikoto Regional Council from which 62 officials were selected and the ECN is not aware of any other applicants or names that were intentionally excluded from the screening process ... The RDP claims that 62 officials, all belonging to the Swapo Party, have been recruited by the office of the Omuthiya Regional Councillor and the recruitment was unfair and unprocedural. In a letter written to the chairperson of the Board of Commissioners, the RDP claims that more than 40 out of the 62 selected people are from outside Omuthiya Constituency. In the letter signed by interim secretary general Jesaya Nyamu, the RDP further claims that the selected people have been chosen at the obvious expense of the Omuthiya Constituency ... The RDP secretary for information, Kauku Hengari, also issued a press release addressing the same issue. In the media release, Hengari said the same irregularities, which are being experienced at Omuthiya have also emerged at Eenhana with a Swapo Party Regional Councillor again having exclusive rights over the recruitment process of registration officials ...