Amupanda, IPC challenge ECN appointment process
Sostenus Wilherm Affirmative Repositioning (AR) parliamentary leader Job Amupanda has approached the High Court of Namibia in an urgent bid to stop the National Assembly from proceeding with the approval of nominees for the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). He argued that lawmakers are being asked to decide without access to key selection documents. The […]
Sostenus Wilherm
Affirmative Repositioning (AR) parliamentary leader Job Amupanda has approached the High Court of Namibia in an urgent bid to stop the National Assembly from proceeding with the approval of nominees for the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN).
He argued that lawmakers are being asked to decide without access to key selection documents.
The urgent application, filed on Thursday, seeks to interdict the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Secretary of the National Assembly and other relevant parties from proceeding with the vote, debate or resolution on the appointment of the ECN chairperson and commissioners until the requested records have been disclosed and Members of Parliament have been given sufficient time to study them.
Amupanda’s court action follows a failed attempt by the National Assembly on Wednesday to approve the nominations of Gerson Sindano as ECN chairperson, and Emmerentia Leonard and Julieta Diva Ferreira as commissioners after the House failed to reach the required quorum.
Amupanda argues that the refusal by parliamentary authorities to provide records of the selection process prevents him and other lawmakers from exercising their constitutional oversight responsibilities.
