WINDHOEK - Believing that the Swapo Party has been using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to ‘rig elections’, Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) yesterday vowed to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that EVMs are removed from the country’s electoral system.
Namibians will this year November be heading to the polls to elect a new President and new Members of Parliament.
Namibia became the first African country to use the Indian made EVMs in the 2014 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
In 2014, the Windhoek High Court dismissed a legal challenge by then official opposition political party, the RDP; the African Labour and Human Rights Centre; and the Workers Revolutionary Party who sought the postponement of the 2014 Presidential and National Assembly Elections due the use of paperless electronic voting machines which they said violates the Electoral Act.
“RDP Central Committee condemned, in strongest terms, the continuous persistence by Swapo Party government to use electronic EVMs to rig elections in order to maintain corruption,” said RDP spokesperson Nghiningiluandubo Kashume while briefing media on the party’s central committee resolutions held over the weekend.
He said the party standpoint is that democratic principles of free, transparent, honest and most importantly credible elections cannot be delivered under the current election arrangements.
“We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that EVMs are removed from the Namibian electoral system altogether,” said Kashume, the party’s Secretary of Information and Publicity.
On the political front, Kashume said the RDP central committee expressed its deep disapproval of lack of commitment, by the Swapo government, on transparency and accountability, intentionally so as to perpetuate corruption.
“Rampant corruption in Namibia has rendered the country bankrupt in terms of meeting the basic needs of our people,” he said.
Furthermore, Kashume announced party candidates who will be competing for positions at the party congress scheduled to take place in April this year.
Those competing for the Presidential position are Miriam Hamutenya, the current party Secretary General, Mike Kavekotora and RDP co –founder Kandy Nehova.
Kennedy Shekupakela, Heiko Lucks and Eino Heelu will be competing for the Vice-President while Brunhilde Cornelius, Walter Ndakondja and Hidipohamba Sheuyange are competing for Secretary General position.
Those competing for the Deputy Secretary General position are Agnes Limbo, Phyllicia Hercules and Sibuku Malumbano
Furthermore, Kashume said the party central committee viewed with great concern the youth unemployment that continues to escalate in the country, which breeds poverty.
Worst of all, he said the legal system recycles criminals back into society, mostly through the granting of bails.