Namibia Uses BEL-Made Electronic Voting Machines In A First

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has used Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) developed by India’s state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) during the Presidential and National elections in Namibia on November 28 and 29, 2014.

According to BEL, a total of 5,850 customised EVMs were supplied by BEL to ECN in three instalments along with battery packs, tabulators and printers.

Namibia became the first African nation to embrace electronic voting and the event was closely watched by the members of the African Union (AU) and the South African Development Council (SADC) apart from the global media.

Teams of engineers and technicians from BEL visited Namibia on three separate occasions in 2014 - to provide support during the by-elections, to carry out checking of the machines and to provide support during the general elections. Subsequent to the successful completion of the polls, the results were formally announced by ECN on December 1, 2014, at a function attended by the out-going and in-coming Presidents and other dignitaries.

The team members were deployed in the 14 regions of the country during the pre-poll, polling and counting phases.