The SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) has recommended that the National Assembly (NA) consider amending its Electoral Act to ensure votes from Special Voting are counted with main election votes.

Special Voting in terms of section 64 of the Electoral Act 5 of 2014 states that only Namibians in foreign countries, those working on seagoing vessels, and members of the security forces who will be on duty within or outside the country of elections for the President or for members of the National Assembly, will vote before the main election.

This comes after the SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC) held a meeting here with SADC Ambassadors and High Commissioners accredited to Namibia today.

In the current status Namibia announces the outcome of the special voting before the main election results.

SEAC member from the Kingdom of Lesotho and former chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Lesotho, Limakatso Mokhothu, during the meeting said the SEOM recommends that the NA amend the Electoral Act and bring the date when voting takes place closer in order to minimise speculation and influence on voters.

“SEOM recommends that the NA consider amending the Electoral Act to ensure that the votes from the Special Voting are counted together with those from the main election, in order to minimise speculation and undue influence on voters,” Mokhothu said.

The purpose of the meeting was to conduct a post-election review of the Presidential and NA Elections that took place in Namibia in November 2019.

Namibia’s National and Presidential elections are set to take place in 2024.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency