Exclusion of Landless People’s Movement from Local Elections in Namibia
The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) has been excluded from contesting nine southern local authorities and several others nationwide due to alleged technical issues with the portal of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). This exclusion has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
Affected Local Authorities
According to the ECN’s local authorities election list, the LPM is not listed in Aranos, Berseba, Bethanie, Gibeon, Rehoboth, Kalkrand, Lüderitz, Tses, or Stampriet. In the Erongo region, the party will also not contest at Henties Bay, Arandis, and Uis. This means the LPM will lose out on a combined 21 seats from the localities it is not contesting in the south.
Despite this, the party is participating in Mariental, Keetmanshoop, Karasburg, Koës, Aroab, Gochas, Oranjemund, and Maltahöhe. Out of 59 local authorities, the LPM is only contesting in 25, according to the commission’s list.
Party Leader’s Response
Party leader Bernadus Swartbooi last week stated that the LPM could not submit the names of its candidates due to the ECN portal’s technical glitches. “We received certificates in some places, and they cut us out of 28 localities,” he said. Swartbooi emphasized that this is a serious issue, as the affected localities are mostly in the southern regions, which are governed by the LPM.
LPM operative secretary Dawid Eigub could not be reached for comment yesterday after the party said its lawyers were engaging the ECN on the matter.
Criticism from Lüderitz Town Council
Lüderitz Town Council’s LPM councillor, Annemarie Hartzenberg, took to social media on Monday, stating that the situation cannot simply be brushed aside as a “system issue.” She highlighted that the LPM complied with the procedures, submitted both physical and digital documentation where required, and engaged with the ECN within the stipulated timelines, yet they are still being excluded.
“This is not just unfair, it undermines the constitutional right of citizens to choose their representatives,” she said. Hartzenberg added that an election cannot be considered free, fair, or democratic if a legitimate political party is removed from the ballot through administrative failure or selective application of processes.
“We are not asking for special treatment, we are demanding equal and lawful treatment,” she said. The country, Hartzenberg argued, deserves a transparent explanation, accountability, and the assurance that elections are not being influenced by systems that conveniently fail at critical moments and in favor of a certain political party.
Political Analyst’s Perspective
Political analyst Henning Melber expressed concern that the matter casts more doubt on the ECN’s impartiality if the complaints turn out to be true. He noted that such issues can erode public trust in the electoral process.
LPM’s Deputy Operative Secretary’s Comments
Responding to the ECN blocking the party from contesting at some local authorities, LPM deputy operative secretary Eneas Emvula said nothing would come of the matter. He claimed that true justice will not exist until a change of government, “which will unfortunately have to come at a cost.”
“We will capitalise on what we will gain as part of building momentum for that inevitable change,” Emvula said.
Public Reaction and Future Actions
During the LPM’s recent press conference at Keetmanshoop, a member on Facebook criticized the ECN’s actions as undemocratic, stating that the party would not “sit idle and watch.” “We will march to the ECN and close it down if we must,” the party member said.
Another member suggested that the party would mobilize the affected localities and petition the ECN’s “unjust” actions.
LPM’s Electoral Performance
The LPM gained five seats during last year’s presidential and National Assembly elections. However, the current exclusion from several local authorities has sparked significant debate and concern among its supporters and leaders.