With the highly anticipated Namibia Football Association (NFA) 28th Ordinary Elective Congress slated for this coming Saturday, 22 February, New Era Sport takes you, our esteemed reader, through the processes and procedures followed by the NFA when conducting an election.

As it currently stands, four candidates are vying for the country’s football association’s top office and their fate will be decided this weekend when congress takes place. The four remaining running candidates are Johnny Johnson Doeseb, Ranga Haikali, Mabos Vries and Izak Fredericks. Many a football fanatic would like to know who votes at congress, and the process and procedures followed when voting. Below is a breakdown of the entire process of conducting NFA elections. 

What is congress?
The congress is a meeting where all affiliate members of the NFA regularly convene, and it represents the supreme and legislative authority of the NFA. Only a congress that is properly and legally convened has the authority to make decisions. A congress may be ordinary or extraordinary. The president NFA shall conduct the congress business in compliance with the standing orders of the congress. Meaning, as it currently stands, the chairperson of the Fifa-appointed normalisation committee for the NFA, Hilda Basson-Namudjembo, will oversee Saturday’s proceedings 

What happens at an elective congress?
The elections shall be conducted by secret ballot, unless the number of candidates is equal to the number of vacancies. The election may then be conducted by acclamation, elections of NFA, of members of NFA and the members of NFA shall be conducted in accordance with the electoral code of the NFA. For a person to be elected as president of the NFA, a majority (more than 50%) of the valid votes cast recorded and valid is necessary in the first ballot. 

If there are more than two candidates for the office of the president, and if no candidate reached the majority (more than 50%), whoever obtains the lowest number of votes is eliminated as from the second ballot until only two candidates are left. For the election of the first vice-president, the candidate who receives the most votes in respect of the free seat shall be elected. For the election of the second vice-president, the candidate who receives the most votes in respect of the free seat shall be elected. For the election of the female member, the candidate who receives the most votes in respect of the free seat shall be elected.

For the election of the other five members of the NFA executive committee, the candidates who receive the most votes in respect of the free seats shall be elected. In case of a tied vote, new ballots shall be conducted until the respective candidate or list is elected in accordance with the procedure set forth by the standing provisions of the NFA statutes.

Who votes at congress?     
The NFA has in total 20 members, namely the Namibia Premier League (NPL), 14 football regions, women’s football, the referees’ association, North East First Division, North West First Division and Southern Stream First Division. These are the members who have power to vote at congress. But since the NPL is under suspension, it will unfortunately not partake in Saturday’s voting. As per the NFA statutes, the Southern Stream First Division will be represented by two delegates with two votes, the North East First Division and North West First Division each will have two delegates and two votes apiece.

Each of the 14 regions will have two representatives at congress and is each entitled to one vote, while the women’s association, the referees’ association and coaches association will each be represented by two delegates and is each entitled to cast one vote each. Traditionally, the NPL is represented by four delegates at congress and they carry four votes, but since the league is suspended, its four votes fall out.
The delegates to congress must have a clearly identified head of delegation who will also have the power to vote on behalf of their members. They must also be able to produce evidence of this upon request. Only the delegates present are entitled to vote. Voting by proxy or by letter is not permitted.

What are the powers of congress?
The congress has the powers to adopt or amend the statutes, regulations governing the application of the statutes and the standing orders of the congress; it also has powers to appoint three members to check the minutes and approving the minutes of the last meeting. Moreover, congress has powers to elect or dismiss the president, the two vice-presidents and the six members of the NFA executive committee.
Congress has powers to admit, suspend or expel a member; it also has powers to revoke the mandate of one or a number of members of a body of the NFA and equally has powers to dissolve the NFA if need be. The congress also holds the powers to nominate whether to bestow the title of honorary president or honorary member to whoever it deems fit, amongst many other activities as outlined in the NFA statutes.

Who appoints the various standing committees?
The members of each standing committee shall, at a later stage after the elective congress, be appointed by the executive committee on the proposal of the NFA president. The chairpersons and their deputies for the respective standing committees shall be designated for a term of office of four years. The NFA standing committees to be installed are as follows: the finance committee; the audit and compliance committee; the organising committee for NFA competitions; the technical and development committee; the referees’ committee; the legal committee; the committee for women’s football; the youth football committee; the medical committee and players’ status committee.