The production and printing of the final ballot papers for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections has commenced in Johannesburg, South Africa.

This follows the verification and sign-off of the designed sample ballot papers by 18 political parties.

In a statement, the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) says the three political parties that opted to withdraw from the mission, namely the Christian Democratic Voice Party (CDV), the Republican Party (RP) of Namibia, and the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), were given the opportunity to verify their particulars at the ECN Head Office in Windhoek. 

This verification, the electoral commission says, was completed on Tuesday, with all three parties signing off the sample ballot papers.

This means that all 21 political parties and 15 presidential candidates contesting the elections have officially signed off the papers. 

The Commission assured the electorate that it remains dedicated to upholding the principles of democracy and to ensuring that elections are conducted with the highest level of integrity, in accordance with its constitutional mandate.

The ECN gathered a delegation, including the political parties contesting the elections, to observe the ballot paper production process, which travelled to Johannesburg on Sunday.