Namibian human rights body banned from observing elections

Namibian human rights body banned from observing elections

 

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has banned a local human rights body, National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), from observing and monitoring this weekend's presidential and national assembly elections in the country.

 

ECN said Tuesday that NSHR's accreditation to observe the polls had been withd rawn, after NSHR claimed there were irregularities in the voters' list, a claim echoed by the opposition Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP).

 

The NSHR, which has on numerous occasions clashed with government, claimed last Thursday that it had a 'dossier of gross irregularities' claiming that there are 132 under-aged voters, 103 voters who have registered twice and 1 2 people who registered to vote after the deadline for registration had expired.

 

The allegations were also taken up by the RDP, which accused the ECN of creating loopholes for vote rigging. But the ECN has said that the voter's roll is in order and that the NSHR wants to damage the credibility of the elections.

 

Namibians go to the polls on Friday to choose a president and parliamentarians. Although 14 parties are contesting both the presidential and parliamentarian polls, the elections have become a two-party race, pitting the ruling Swapo party against the opposition RDP.

 

'Its deliberate attempts to mislead the public and cast doubt over the rights and eligibility of some Namibian citizens to vote in these elections clearly indicates that your (NSHR) organisation can no longer be seen as a credible, fair, transpa rent, honest and objective observer of the elections,'' ECN said.

 

The ECN also accused NSHR of colluding with opposition parties, saying: 'This action has duly compromised your integrity and credibility as an election observer. Revealing information through the media about eligible voters, directly or indirectly about the way they could vote, compromises the secrecy of their votes.'

 

'Unnecessary whistle blowing sometimes leads to voter apathy, increased politi cal tension and contested results which leads to wastage of limited financial resources on recounting and court cases,' the ECN said.

 

Meanwhile, the NSHR has said it will legally challenge the decision by the elect oral body.

 

In another development, a 17-member Pan-African Parliament (PAP) election observ er team arrived in the country Monday to observer the polls.

 

The mission is headed by Ambrose Dery, an MP for Ghana, and comprises parliament arians from five regions in Africa, backed by 11 support staff members from the PAP secretariat and Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA).

 

Windhoek - 24/11/2009

News - Africa news