Immediately proclaimed, immediately contested. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Swappo candidate, was declared president on December 3 by the electoral commission, with more than 57% of the votes in the first round. Although this victory would make her the first woman to access the highest office in Namibia, the results are now being contested by the opposition parties.
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The main opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), describes the vote as “ chaotic “. Its leader, Panduleni Itula, announced on Saturday his intention to take legal action to try to annul the election. He claims to want “ enforce the will of Namibians » and denounces a process marred by irregularities.
He denounces a process which resulted, according to him, in a “ removal of voting rightse “. A direct allusion to the shortage of ballots observed during the election, but also to the numerous technical failures. Among these, the overheating of electronic tablets used to verify the identity of voters and “ significant delays “, which forced the authorities to extend the vote by three days, unheard of in Namibia.
Collaboration of opposition parties
In a statement, Panduleni Itula, a former dentist and lawyer, indicated his willingness to collaborate with other opposition parties to investigate these dysfunctions. It also calls on citizens to document irregularities and provide evidence.
However, considering a new election would be complex. With only 1.5 million voters, the country has already had difficulty organizing this first round. The opposition, for its part, lacks a solid national network to prepare for a possible campaign.
All eyes are now on international observers, notably those of theAfrican Union and SADC. Their reports, expected in the coming hours, could weigh heavily in the follow-up to this election.
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