High Court adjudicates ECN appointment records dispute

Allexer Namundjembo

Affirmative Repositioning and National Assembly member Job Amupanda has welcomed the release of the full High Court judgment in his case against the Speaker of the National Assembly and 19 other respondents, arguing that the ruling confirms his concerns about transparency in the appointment process of Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) commissioners.

Amupanda, who had sought to stop Parliament from proceeding with the approval of ECN nominees until key documents relating to the selection process were disclosed, said the judgment was not a rejection of his arguments on the substance of transparency and accountability.

In a statement following the release of the judgment, Amupanda said he had initially understood the application to have been dismissed on urgency grounds but later realised that the court had instead declined to grant an interdict at that stage.

“The judge just declined to grant an interdict at this stage,” Amupanda said on Tuesday, adding that the ruling reflected his view that legal challenges could still succeed even after decisions had been implemented.