The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) is concerned about the lack of financial accountability observed at most political parties in the country.
This was highlighted to all political formations when ECN’s leadership met them on Tuesday.
Again on Thursday while addressing a media briefing in the capital, ECN Chairperson Elsie Nghikembua reiterated this point, stressing that not all political parties are compliant with Sections 139, 140, 121 and 158 pertaining to political party funding as prescribed in the Electoral Act.
“The commission has noted with grave concern that political parties are not complying with regulations in place. The electoral commission has a legal obligation to ensure that these measures and requirements are implemented,” she said.
She pleaded: “We are once again appealing to political parties who have not submitted these statements to heed this call as soon as possible. Our perceived leniency in fully enforcing these measures has to come to an end as this commission cannot allow this trend to continue.”
Her remarks come at a time when the ruling Swapo Party has been accused in court papers of having benefited from the Fishrot scandal through fishing quotas that were swindled through Fishcor under the pretext of ‘governmental objectives’.
The public funds, according to ongoing bail application hearings in the Windhoek High Court, were allegedly used to finance Swapo’s 2017 intraparty congress and its political campaign for the 2019 national elections.
Nampa has in the past also reported on how the official opposition, the Popular Democratic Movement used its funding from the National Assembly to settle personal loans of some of its members.
“The issue of political party funding has recently also become a topical issue and the fact that some political parties are not complying is defeating the purpose and undermining national efforts of anti-corruption as highlighted in the Final Draft National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan,” Nghikembua lamented.
The strategy’s primary objective is “increasing the level of political accountability and transparency”.
She also paused for a minute to pay tribute to All People’s Party leader Ignatius Shixwameni, who died on Wednesday after collapsing while attending a parliamentary committee meeting.
Furthermore, Nghikembua also delved into the commission’s work as it prepares for the 2025 national elections and voter registration.
“Since this commission assumed duty on 16 September 2021, we held a Commission Strategic Retreat to review our key institutional strategic priorities in preparation for the 2024 General Registration of Voters and the Presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as the 2025 Regional Councils and Local Authorities Elections,” she said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
