Thread: All set for seafarers’ polls

New Era Online - WINDHOEK – Ballot papers and other voting materials have been dispatched to Walvis Bay and Lüderitz for seagoing personnel to vote on Friday, Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) Deputy Director of Operations, Theo Mujoro, said.

Similarly, materials have been sent to all Namibian missions abroad for those in the diaspora to participate in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“We have dispatched both sensitive and non-sensitive materials. Sensitive materials include ballot papers, secret mark, ink … and non-sensitive ones include pencils, voters’ roll …” said Mujoro.

At Walvis Bay, the electoral body has established two polling stations at Kuisebmund Community Hall and Kuisebmund Compound Hall. At Lüderitz, the German Hostel Hall has been identified as the place of voting on Friday.

Training of polling officers for the overseas voting activities took place last week.

“Everything is on course. Training of polling officials to preside over polling proceedings at the three venues started on Monday. We expect the polling stations to open at 07h00 to 21h00 on Friday,” said Mujoro.

Voting overseas will take place at all the embassies. However, countries such as Zimbabwe, South Africa and Brazil have additional identified polling points due to some Namibians scattered in these countries for teaching and navy personnel undergoing training, Mujoro said.

In Zimbabwe, apart from Harare, there will be voting points in Bulawayo and Mutare, while in South Africa apart from Pretoria, Namibians will be able to vote in Cape Town as well. In Brazil, voting will be done in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro.

A total of 992 Namibians registered in 26 countries during the first supplementary voter registration exercise conducted abroad by the ECN.

This brings the total number of Namibians that have registered during the supplementary registration period to 290 992 – with 290 000 having registered inside Namibia, an increase of 71.7 percent from the 2004 figures when 82 321 people registered in the supplementary process.