Namibian President -elect, Netumbo Nandi in a past event//Photo Courtesy
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah becomes the first female president after winning the election in Namibia with 57% of the vote while the opposition candidate Panduleni Itula came in second with 25%, according to results published by the electoral commission.
However, Itula and his party have contested the results.
Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, confirmed in a statement following the results’ announcement last night, that Namibians have cast ballots in favour of stability, peace, and youth empowerment.
“We will fulfil the promises we made to you during the campaigns. We appreciate your faith and confidence in us,” she said.
“SWAPO Wins. Netumbo Wins. Namibia Wins. Now Hard Work,” the party posted on its official account on social media site X.
Some opposition parties boycotted the announcement by the Electoral Commission of Namibia at its results center in the capital, Windhoek.
The commission has been roundly criticized for its running of the vote, with many angry Namibians complaining they had to wait hours and sometimes over multiple days for the chance to vote.
According to the electoral commission, over 1 million votes were cast out of 1.4 million registered voters.
After SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organisation, Itula’s party secured the second-highest number of seats in Parliament.
Leading the criticism of the result, Itula and his party have stated that they will file an appeal against the election this week, announcing that more opposition parties would join that legal battle.
Itula claimed that because only a few polling places permitted an extension, thousands of voters could not have been able to cast their ballots.
“The fundamental principles of our Electoral Act have been broken in this election ” Itula stated , declaring that Namibians should have the freedom to select their leaders in a fair and unhindered manner rather than by a manipulated process.
