By the time the National Assembly results of the last seven constituencies had been ‘announced’ the numbers had shifted quite interestingly.
When the ‘final’ results for the 27 November 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections were declared by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) on the evening of Saturday, 30 November 2019, it was also announced that the results of seven (7) constituencies were still being collated.
Importantly, it was announced that 820 227 valid votes had been cast and recorded in the National Assembly elections, even though the results of some constituencies were still outstanding.
When veteran journalist Willie Olivier checked in on the ECN’s election results website – elections.na – on the afternoon of Monday, 2 December 2019, the results for the last seven constituencies were still not reported, and the total number of votes recorded at that stage was 765 305 (image below).
At this point, it is important to note that the difference between 820 227 votes and 765 305 votes is 54 922 votes, spread across the last seven constituencies for which a results announcement was awaited on late Monday, 2 December 2019.
However, the ECN results website was only updated the next morning, on Tuesday, 3 December 2019, and has seemingly not been updated since, as the screenshot image below, taken 11 December 2019, indicates.
When Willie Olivier queried the final results on Wednesday, 4 December 2019, he asked the following questions:
“It would, however, be appreciated if you could provide me with the following information:
(1) The names of the seven National Assembly (NA) constituencies that were still outstanding as at 13:51 on Monday, 2 December, and
(2) Whether adjustments were made to any of the 114 NA constituency results that had been declared after 13:51 on Monday, 2 December. If so, in respect of which constituencies were adjustments made. Please be so kind as to forward the results of these constituencies as they were posted on the website and the amended results.”
The reply on the afternoon of Wednesday, 4 December 2019, from ECN corporate communications officer Vikitoria Hango, indicated that the results that had still been outstanding on 2 December 2019 were for the Kabbe North, Grootfontein, Anamulenge, Opuwo Rural, Eenhana, Ondobe and Moses //Garoeb constituencies. And Hango additionally indicated that “No adjustments were made to the 114 constituency results” and that “There were no amended results”.
So, if there were no amendments to any other already recorded and declared constituency results, as per Ms Hango of the ECN, then the results of the last seven outstanding constituencies should amount to exactly 54 922 votes.
However, this does not tally.
The number of votes recorded on the ECN results website since Tuesday, 3 November 2019, for the last seven constituencies are as follows:
- Kabbe North – 2 264 votes
- Grootfontein –9 466 votes
- Anamulenge – 7 679 votes
- Opuwo Rural– 3 967 votes
- Eenhana – 10 914 votes
- Ondobe – 11 593
- Moses Garoeb – 14 011
Added together, these numbers equal 59 894 votes recorded votes across the last seven constituencies.
There is thus a difference of 4 972 votes.
Since Willie Olivier sought clarity again on this discrepancy on Thursday, 5 December 2019, he has not received a response from the ECN to date.