In every election, voter education is necessary to ensure that all citizens understand their democratic rights, the political system, and how and where to vote.
These were the words of nbc’s Chief of News and Programming Officer Menesia Muinjo during a discussion on elections in Africa titled “Why the controversy around elections in Africa?”
Muinjo noted that for an election to be successful and democratic, voters must understand their rights and responsibilities, be sufficiently knowledgeable, and be well-informed to cast ballots that are legally valid.
“The understanding is the departing line when you have the election concept of what do you mean with it, what is it? If you are a part of a particular entity and you know how it works and you accept its concepts and procedures, you should be able to understand the consequences and the outcomes, and even if the outcome is the way it is, what are the procedures to address it?”
She explained that the goal of voter education is to help citizens make informed decisions, and it is therefore important that education campaigns reach far and wide.
“We mainly focus on voters’ education, but I am thinking that there must be education for political parties, especially when it comes to the final stages of the results and outcomes. Namibia might not have major consequences from the outcomes, but when they appear, there are issues with ballot papers. Political party actors must accept and understand their roles so that they can be held accountable.”
Muinjo also pointed out that there has been a major shift in Namibia’s elections over the years.
The nbc’s Chief of News and Programming also stated that the media has a role to play in information dissemination to the electorate.
Leave a Reply