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Namibians await initial results from general elections

Village Reporter

Polling stations closed in Namibia across the country following presidential and national assembly elections on November 27.

Barely 24-hours on, people are patiently waiting for initial results from across the voting centers and constituencies.

The Electoral Commission of Namibia in their media briefing after polls closed said it was satisfied with the conduct of the entire process despite admitting that there were issues that were dealt with.

Head of the ECN secretariat said 91% of polling stations were operational as expected whiles its team worked to resolve where there were challenges that subsequently allowed the process to proceed.

But for others, the challenges of voting day were issues that needed to be looked at, from of hours-long queues and endless delays all in a bid to cast their vote.

Thousands of Namibians voted in general elections that analysts project will confirm the ruling party’s control of the country since 1990, despite the population’s growing grumbling against and economic crisis and corruption.

“Until now I didn’t vote yet. I came here at around 3 o’clock. We have been waiting in that line as you can see all those people they have been waiting in that line ever since.

“We don’t know now the system of the EVMs (electronic voting machines) if it is the one failing us, but people are complaining,” an aggrieved voter said.

“I’ve been here since 1pm and as you can see the line is not moving. I don’t understand they closed down at some point and they said that the would open at 5 o’clock – 5 o’clock I was here but it was still closed,” another added.

Faced with a divided opposition, incumbent President Hage Geingob, 78, and his South West African People’s Organization (Swapo) seem confident of returning for five years, despite a highly contrasting record.

The Southern African nation is the first African country to use Electronic Voting Machines during a general election.

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