Namibia vote delays spark opposition fury

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Namibia vote delays spark opposition fury

8:08 CAT | 29 Nov 2024

A member of the Namibian opposition displays a banner calling for a halt to the voting process [Photo: Simon Maina / AFP]

Namibia extended voting for a second time Thursday with the opposition crying foul after logistical failures prevented many people from casting ballots in the tightly fought election.

With the ruling party facing its strongest challenge yet, opposition parties called for a halt to vote counting and said they had lost confidence in the process.

The polls are a key test for the liberation-era South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party that has governed the mineral-rich country since independence 34 years ago.

SWAPO is being challenged by a younger generation of voters frustrated by high unemployment and enduring inequalities.

About 1.5 million people in the sparsely populated desert nation were registered to vote in Wednesday’s presidential and legislative elections.

But many were still in line when polls were scheduled to close Wednesday evening, some saying they had queued for 12 hours.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) kept some polling stations open into Thursday and allowed others to begin ballot counting.

The disarray led to angry complaints from opposition parties which suggested there may have been an attempt to limit voting amid a strong show for SWAPO’s rivals.

The ECN said it had decided to keep 36 polling stations open on Friday and Saturday in response to the criticism.

It admitted to a range of problems, including a shortage of ballot papers in a higher than expected turnout and the overheating of tablets used to verify voters.

In some cases, torches used to show up invisible ink had run out of batteries and mobile voting teams had left areas with voters still in the queues, it said.

The main opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) led calls for a halt in the process.

“We have a reason to believe that the ECN is deliberately suppressing voters and deliberately trying to frustrate voters from casting their vote,” said IPC official Christine Aochamus.

McHenry Venaani, leader of the largest opposition party in the outgoing assembly, said the commission “have taken this country to a precipice and now they think they can help it with two more days”.

The measures to extend voting “can’t just be in areas that are specified. It’s the whole country that did not vote,” the Popular Democratic Movement chief argued.

Source: AFP