Namibian PM wins presidential election landslide

Image
AFP Windhoek (Namibia)
Last Updated : Dec 02 2014 | 2:01 AM IST
Namibian Prime Minister Hage Geingob has won the country's presidential election, the Electoral Commission said today, with the ruling SWAPO party securing a landslide win in national polls billed as the continent's first e-vote.
Geingob, 73, who ran on a platform of "peace, stability and prosperity", becomes president-elect with a massive haul of 87 percent of the vote.
"I have the honour and privilege to declare Geingob... duly elected as the winner," electoral commission chairwoman Nontemba Tjipueja announced.
In the race for the 96 seats in the legislature, SWAPO took 80 per cent of the vote in a turnout of 72 percent of registered voters.
Forged in the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggle, the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) has won every election since Namibia's independence in 1990.
Already an overpowering force in Namibian politics, the party managed to improve on the 2009 elections, when it received 75 percent of the vote.
Then, the official opposition Rally for Progress and Democracy (RPD) managed to pull double figures with just over 11 percent of the vote.
But they found themselves booted from second to third place this year with only 3.15 percent of the vote, according to figures on the official Electoral Commission website.
Taking their place as the strongest opposition in parliament is the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, with 4.8 percent.
About 1.2 million Namibians were eligible to cast their vote on Friday on nearly 4,000 electronic voting machines across the vast desert nation.
Other African countries have run pilot or limited e-voting, but none have done so on this scale.
The African Union applauded the elections as free and fair.
Ambassador Fatuma Ndangiza, head of the AU election observer mission, on Sunday gave Namibia a thumbs up for conducting the elections in "a peaceful environment, free from violence and intimidation".
But she suggested Namibia's electoral commission "consider simplifying polling station procedures" and ensuring staff were trained in how the electronic voting machines worked.
Opposition parties complained that thousands of voters were turned away from polling stations Friday because of technical difficulties.
Observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) also gave the vote their stamp of approval.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 02 2014 | 2:01 AM IST

Next Story