NAMIBIA: PRESIDENT GEINGOB’S ELECTION WIN FACES CHALLENGE IN COURT

Namibian President-elect, Hage Geingob

By Jerry Omondi, Windhoek NAMIBIA

Namibian President Hage Geingob’s election win faces a challenge in court, lodged by an independent candidate.

Panduleni Itula, filed the petition on Wednesday, saying that the November 27 vote was marred by electoral irregularities.

In a 126-page affidavit, Itula has urged the Namibia Supreme Court to annul the result of the presidential election, pointing out especially to problems in the use of electronic voting machines.

Ahead of the vote, a Namibian court on November 25 dismissed a case seeking to prevent the use of electronic voting machines.

Magistrate, Uaatjo Uanivi, ruled that the tribunal has no jurisdiction to forbid the electoral commission from using the voting machines.

Following his win in the election, President Geingob of the ruling SWAPO party is scheduled to be sworn in to a new term on March 21 next year. The 78-year-old secured victory with 56 percent of the votes.

Itula, who also a SWAPO member, contested as independent candidate and scored 30% of the vote. 

The ruling SWAPO party has been shaken by corruption allegations linked to fishing quotas that brought two cabinet ministers to resign. SWAPO, in power since independence from South Africa in 1990, lost its strategic two-thirds majority in parliament, dropping from 77 seats to 63 seats.

Namibia is a resource-rich southern African nation with a population of 2.4 million people. Some 1.3 million voters were registered for election and turnout was 60%. - Africa