Namibia moves closer to electing first female President, results show
Namibia is poised to potentially elect its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the SWAPO, as election results continue to be counted amid allegations of irregularities.
Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), currently serving as vice president, is leading with 58.1% of the vote after results from 91.8% of constituencies had been declared.
However, if she fails to secure more than 50 per cent of the vote once all results are in later this week, she could be forced into a run-off election.
The election, held on November 27, faced significant delays due to technical difficulties and ballot paper shortages, with voting extended by three days at several polling stations.
These issues have led to disputes over the legitimacy of the election, with the main opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), rejecting the process as a "sham."
IPC’s candidate, Panduleni Itula, trails with 28 per cent of the vote, and the opposition has already announced plans to challenge the election results in court, citing numerous irregularities.
So far, results have been released for 79 of the 121 constituencies, with SWAPO also leading the National Assembly vote, holding 56.38 per cent of the vote against IPC’s 19.23 per cent. Namibia’s electoral commission reported a high voter turnout, with 73 per cent of the nearly 1.5 million registered voters casting their ballots.
The electoral commission has faced criticism for logistical issues such as ballot shortages and extended voting periods, which some opposition leaders claim undermined the electoral integrity.
Despite SWAPO’s long-standing governance since Namibia’s independence in 1990, dissatisfaction over high youth unemployment and social inequalities is driving a challenge to its political dominance.
The controversy surrounding the election's validity may lead to legal battles as opposition factions prepare to contest the results, fuelling a critical discourse regarding democracy in Namibia.
