Namibia’s Opposition Declines to Recognize Election Results

The primary opposition party in Namibia has declared its refusal to accept the outcomes of this week’s general election, which was marked by logistical difficulties and voting extensions in multiple locations. On Saturday, Panduleni Itula, the presidential contender representing the opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), issued a statement claiming the occurrence of “glaring and undeniable” electoral malpractices. Itula’s objective was to overcome the candidate from the South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo), the party that has governed the nation since its independence in 1990. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Swapo’s leading candidate, is vying to become Namibia’s inaugural female president. The electoral process commenced on Wednesday but persisted until Saturday in certain regions of the country, attributed to a shortage of ballot papers in some areas and faulty technical equipment. Namibia, a geographically expansive country, has approximately three million inhabitants, with roughly half of them registered to cast ballots. At a press conference held on Saturday, Itula stated, “We shall not, under any circumstances, recognise the outcome of the 2024 election… that is still, in our opinion, illegitimately continuing,” simultaneously urging for tranquility. The IPC announced its intention to “pursue justice through the courts” and advised individuals who believed they were prevented from voting due to electoral commission mismanagement to report to the police to provide a statement. Concurrently, vote tabulation is underway, and presidential election results from 10 out of 121 constituencies have been disclosed. To date, Nandi-Ndaitwah has secured 48% of the votes, compared to Itula’s 30%. A candidate must obtain over half of the votes cast to win in the initial round; otherwise, a second-round run-off will be necessary. Swapo, the party that spearheaded the liberation struggle against apartheid South Africa, has maintained political dominance in the country for 34 years. However, its public support has been declining, and during the previous election in 2019, its share of votes in the presidential contest dropped below 60% for the first time. The party is encountering difficulties akin to those faced by other liberation movements in the region, including the African National Congress in South Africa, which lost its absolute parliamentary majority in May, and the Botswana Democratic Party, which was ousted from power after almost six decades following last month’s election. Reporting contributed by Frauke Jensen. Visit BBCAfrica.com for further news coverage from the African continent. Connect with us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa, or on Instagram at bbcafrica. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.