SWAPO On-Course For Namibian Elections Victory

Namibia's President Hifikepunye Pohamba

Returns from last week’s elections in Namibia indicate that about one-third of the votes counted show the ruling South West Africa People’s Party heading for a landslide victory with three-fourths of the vote. A new party, the Rally for Democracy and Progress, seems to be the likely opposition party with about 9 percent. The ruling South West Africa People’s Party appears heading for a landslide victory.

Ambrose Dery of Ghana, head of the Pan-African Parliament’s observer team, said the process had been fraught with irregularities, but that had not affected the overall outcome. “Above all, because of the involvement of the Namibian police who are perceived by all stakeholders to be very independent of government control, the fact that they were represented at all of the polling stations and involved at various stages of the electoral process, we have drawn the conclusion that the election] was free, fair and credible.” But it seems the voter registration list, which was issued four separate times, contained many errors and irregularities. There were media reports of voter intimidation and that only the two major parties had monitors at all the polling stations

A new process that allowed people to vote at polling stations other than where they were registered was a major cause of concern and was a reason for the delays in vote counting. African Union Observers and the Southern African Development Community issued assessments to that effect. President Hifikepunye Pohamba is expected to be re-elected to a second, five-year term and SWAPO is expected to retain its dominance in parliament.

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