ECN in centre of recruitment storm - by Toivo Ndjebela
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OSHAKATI – The deputy director of electoral operations at the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) Theo Mujoro has pleaded with government ministers to release officials in their ministries who have been recruited to work as polling officers during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Mujoro’s request comes against the background of a recent statement by Health and Social Services Minister Richard Kamwi, who blasted the electoral body for recruiting staff of the ministry as polling officers.
An angry Kamwi, while handing over a new hospital at Swakopmund a fortnight ago, said health services were being compromised as office work is neglected as a result of those who have taken up work with the ECN.
“I am not happy with the ECN employing health workers. All regional directors check your staff. I don’t want to hear control clerks, nurses, drivers and others close their offices to go and do work that unemployed Grade 12 graduates are supposed to do,” Kamwi was quoted as saying.
However, despite the warning by Kamwi, Mujoro yesterday said recruiting unemployed youth alone for elections as recommended by some quarters may compromise the quality of elections, hence the decision to bring in experienced officers, civil servants included.
“We don’t want to risk the (electoral) process. It’s a national exercise that requires experience,” Mujoro said.
The training of polling officers for the second and last phase of this year’s elections started on Monday across the country. The actual voting phase succeeds the initial phase which encompassed mostly the recently-concluded supplementary registration of voters.
Training centres across the regions of Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto were packed to capacity when training commenced recently.
Among the crowds were a host of government officials, who have taken leave from their full-time government jobs and rake in extra income from the ECN.
“We need public servants to help primarily with monitoring the use of government properties such as vehicles. Most of them are in supervisory positions and are familiar with government procedures,” Mujoro told yesterday.
“We therefore urge government ministers to relieve their officials who have been seconded by the ECN for work here. Most of them have experience in previous elections, which is needed here,” Mujoro said.
Meanwhile, New Era is informed that several unemployed people flocked to the training centres with hope of securing jobs.
This has been in particular noted in the Ohangwena Region, where ECN regional coordinator Dominic Shitaa said such people had to be turned back as the recruitment process was already completed by the ECN head office in Windhoek.
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Mujoro’s request comes against the background of a recent statement by Health and Social Services Minister Richard Kamwi, who blasted the electoral body for recruiting staff of the ministry as polling officers.
An angry Kamwi, while handing over a new hospital at Swakopmund a fortnight ago, said health services were being compromised as office work is neglected as a result of those who have taken up work with the ECN.
“I am not happy with the ECN employing health workers. All regional directors check your staff. I don’t want to hear control clerks, nurses, drivers and others close their offices to go and do work that unemployed Grade 12 graduates are supposed to do,” Kamwi was quoted as saying.
However, despite the warning by Kamwi, Mujoro yesterday said recruiting unemployed youth alone for elections as recommended by some quarters may compromise the quality of elections, hence the decision to bring in experienced officers, civil servants included.
“We don’t want to risk the (electoral) process. It’s a national exercise that requires experience,” Mujoro said.
The training of polling officers for the second and last phase of this year’s elections started on Monday across the country. The actual voting phase succeeds the initial phase which encompassed mostly the recently-concluded supplementary registration of voters.
Training centres across the regions of Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto were packed to capacity when training commenced recently.
Among the crowds were a host of government officials, who have taken leave from their full-time government jobs and rake in extra income from the ECN.
“We need public servants to help primarily with monitoring the use of government properties such as vehicles. Most of them are in supervisory positions and are familiar with government procedures,” Mujoro told yesterday.
“We therefore urge government ministers to relieve their officials who have been seconded by the ECN for work here. Most of them have experience in previous elections, which is needed here,” Mujoro said.
Meanwhile, New Era is informed that several unemployed people flocked to the training centres with hope of securing jobs.
This has been in particular noted in the Ohangwena Region, where ECN regional coordinator Dominic Shitaa said such people had to be turned back as the recruitment process was already completed by the ECN head office in Windhoek.
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