The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has urged potential presidential candidates and members of the National Assembly to acquaint themselves with the prerequisites for a position on November’s ballot, with registration closing in five days.

More than 1.4 million registered voters will vote in the watershed elections on November 27, 2024, to pick a new president and NA members. Voters will determine who will compete for the country’s highest position; yet just a handful of potential candidates have registered with ECN, with dozens of others still waiting to secure their tickets.

ECN stated on Thursday that registration for all prospective presidential candidates and members of the National Assembly would be closed on October 16, 2024, with independent candidates due to register on October 14, 2024.

“16 October 2024, 09h00-11h00 has been set as the day on which the chairperson of the commission convenes a sitting for consideration of nominations for presidential candidates and members of the National Assembly from political parties and candidates as per the Act. This will be a final day of nominations, which will be convened through a public sitting at the ECN Head Office by the commission," said Peter Shaama, Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer.

Shaama, in a statement issued on Thursday, urged candidates and registered political parties seeking to run in the 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections to submit nominations to the commission within the set dates.

According to the ECN, the nomination for the independent candidate should be accompanied by a receipt indicating that N$10,000 has been deposited with the State Revenue Fund by or on behalf of the candidate, as well as a prescribed form (form 17) duly signed by any two persons whose names appear on the list of 500 registered voters per region.

A presidential nomination by a political party must be accompanied by a receipt proving that N$20,000 has been deposited with the State Revenue Fund by or on behalf of the political party.

So far, the Affirmative Repositioning Movement has submitted the name of its leader, Job Amupanda, to ECN for consideration in the presidential election, along with the Swapo Party, which has nominated Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

The approval or rejection of all presidential candidates will be apprised at a later stage.