The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) has slammed the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) for failing to create a level playing field while favouring the ruling SWAPO party.
The party held a press conference in the sun by the ECN building where they castigated the Commission for failing to create a level playing field for all parties to contest.
A similar clamour has additionally originated from the South West Africa National Solidarity (SWANU) president Tangeni Iijambo.
However, Immanuel Ngaringombe has grumbled that two of their individuals who qualified for the races had been cleaved off according to the standard of Article 47 which requires renunciations of compensated open office bearers.
“Someone in particular on number 24 on our rundown who has no motivation to be pulled back from the rundown, who didn’t qualify on their determination of withdrawal of applicants was pulled back without our guidelines. We gave directions, they did exactly what they needed to do,” said Ngaringombe.
PDM is also not pleased with how its name is appearing on ECN papers.
The party has merged with the Unity Democratic Movement (UPM) and according to Ngaringombe, contrary to the party’s specifications on how it will be named in papers, ECN labelled them the PDM/UPM coalition.
“We said what coalition? We said we will go under one (name). The PDM/UPM alliance. What alliance because we agree on one thing? We went back to them; we wrote a letter saying we stand under the name PDM.
When we were there on the 29th of October, they wrote PDM/UPM alliance. And that is why we did not sign the ballot papers there. That’s why we refused totally because we tell them something, we agree on something and they do the other things,” said Ngaringombe.
PDM has unveiled that the Windhoek municipality has charged them about N$500 000 to put their election campaign posters around the city.
While the party’s secretary general, Manuel Ngaringombe told reporters that they were charged around N$500 per poster, the party’s treasurer, Nico Smit said in the certain areas they were charged N$1 000.
“We had millions of posters and we were told to remove them because we did not comply with the municipality’s rules. But when Swapo put its posters we were told to put them back and we got exempted from paying,” said Ngaringombe.
Ngaringombe has also decried what he called psychological intimidation that was being carried out by “certain institutions in this country towards the opposition parties.
