Namibia’s main opposition party has announced it will not recognize the results of the country’s general election following significant logistical challenges that led to voting being extended in several regions.
Panduleni Itula, presidential candidate for the opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), accused the electoral process of “glaring and undeniable” malpractices in a statement on Saturday. Itula, who was challenging Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo), argued that the issues had undermined the integrity of the election. Swapo has been in power since Namibia’s independence in 1990, and Nandi-Ndaitwah is vying to become the country’s first female president.
Voting, which started on Wednesday, was extended through to Saturday in some areas due to a shortage of ballot papers and malfunctioning technical equipment. Namibia, a vast country with a population of about three million, saw approximately half of its eligible voters registered for this election.
“We shall not, under any circumstances, recognize the outcome of the 2024 election… that is still, in our opinion, illegitimately continuing,” Itula declared at a press conference. He called for calm among supporters and vowed to challenge the results through the courts. The IPC also encouraged voters who were unable to cast ballots due to electoral mismanagement to report the issue to the police.
As of the latest count, results from 10 of Namibia’s 121 constituencies showed Nandi-Ndaitwah leading with 48% of the vote, while Itula had secured 30%. In Namibia, a candidate must win more than 50% of the votes to avoid a second-round run-off.
Swapo, which led the fight for independence from apartheid South Africa, has been the dominant political force in Namibia for 34 years. However, its support has dwindled, and in the 2019 election, Swapo’s share of the presidential vote dropped below 60% for the first time. This follows a broader regional trend of challenges facing liberation movements, including the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa and the Botswana Democratic Party, which was ousted in last month’s election after nearly six decades in power.
