Namibia’s ruling party candidate took the lead on Monday in early results of a presidential election in which voting was extended by three days because of technical problems.
The opposition has rejected the results and claimed the extension was illegal, weakening the turnout in the southern African country, which has a largely smooth history of elections and is praised as one of the region’s most stable democracies. Final results are expected this week, with opposition parties saying they will challenge the legitimacy of the election in court.
Problems in last Wednesday’s election, including a shortage of ballot papers and other issues, led election officials to allow some polling stations to remain open until Saturday.
While these issues could affect any outcome, Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the ruling SWAPO party is a strong contender to become Namibia’s first female leader.
Ndai-Ndaitwah, 72, a former member of Namibia’s underground independence movement, received about 56% of the vote in partial results published on Monday. Only 220,000 of the nearly 1.4 million votes have been counted. Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change opposition party is in second place with 27% of the vote.
Namibians voted to elect a president and parliament in a large but sparsely populated country on Africa’s southwest coast with a strip of desert running through it. Namibia has been ruled by SWAPO since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
While Nandi-Ndaitwah offers a chance at history, SWAPO has faced disappointment from Namibians who struggle with high unemployment rates and other economic hardships, especially among young people. Government corruption scandals have tarnished its reputation as the country’s liberator.
The Independent Patriots for Change said it expects to file a legal challenge against the election this week. Other opposition parties said they would join the case.
“This is about our country, it’s about our democratic credentials, it’s about a country that should work for everyone, poor and rich. It cannot work only for those who want to stay in power by any means,” said Machenry Venaani, leader of the opposition Popular Democratic Movement and a candidate in the presidential election.
Namibia’s electoral commission organised the election and said there would not be a repeat election despite opposition demands.
Other ruling parties in southern Africa have faced discontent this year.
In neighbouring South Africa, Nelson Mandela’s party, the African National Congress, lost its 30-year majority and had to form a coalition to stay in government and hold on to the presidency. The Botswana Democratic Party was surprisingly voted out of power in that country after ruling for 58 years since independence from Britain.
In Mauritius, the incumbent party also lost by a landslide, while Mozambique’s Frelimo party was accused of rigging October’s election, sparking political turmoil. Massive protests continue against its long rule.