Ndjarakana sidelined by ECN BY JAN POOLMAN/Informaté THE confusion surrounding the 2009 National Assembly election that ended in court, has caught up with the current (now former) Election Director, Moses Ndjarakana. ECN chairperson Notemba Tjipueja, announced that Dr Paul John Isaak (65), a senior lecturer at the University of Namibia, will take over from Ndjarakana from 1 September 2013. Ndjarakana, who was one of the shortlisted candidates for that position, stood a good chance to be re-appointed, especially in the light of the upcoming general voter registration which is expected to still take place this year, and the forthcoming elections towards the end of next year. However, Judge President Petrus Damaseb put the final nail in Ndjarakana’s coffin in his ruling when he dismissed the court application of opposition parties to declare the 2009 National Assembly Elections null and void. “Although the election challenge did not meet the test for the invalidation of the National Assembly results, it raised fundamental issues about electoral governance in the country, and the need to run electoral affairs in a manner that avoids unnecessary suspicion created by those who run the elections,” Damaseb said. He added that Ndjarakana did not explain satisfactorily why there was so much confusion about the voters register preceding the 2009 elections that it aroused suspicion amongst the applicants. Finally, he said that once an election had taken place and is challenged, there is no place for hide and seek. Isaak in his opening remarks stressed that all stakeholders should co-operate on an equal basis to ensure fair and impartial elections. Tjipueja gave the assurance that the ECN under Isaak’s leadership will be ready for the upcoming general voter registration and elections.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 08:31:01 +0000
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