The ruling SWAPO party is contesting the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC)’s legal bid to nullify Namibia’s November 27, 2024, national elections, in which SWAPO candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was declared the winner.
In response to the IPC’s challenge, President Nangolo Mbumba stated that, based on advice from the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), only voters in eight constituencies where voting was extended on November 29 and 30 were deprived of their initial opportunity to vote.
Mbumba noted that he had considered extending the voting period at all polling stations but was advised by the ECN that such an extension was neither necessary nor practically achievable. He explained that at other polling stations, voters present and willing to vote were permitted to do so, even if voting continued past 21:00 on November 27, 2024. In many cases, voting extended into the early hours of November 28, which he stated was lawful under section 93(3) of the Electoral Act.
SWAPO Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa criticized the IPC’s legal challenge, describing it as “confused, inconsistent, and not based on true facts.”
The IPC’s legal action follows their allegations of irregularities during the election process, including technical glitches and extended voting periods, which they claim may have compromised the election’s validity.
Despite these challenges, the ECN declared Nandi-Ndaitwah the winner, and she is set to become Namibia’s first female president.
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As the legal proceedings continue, the nation awaits the court’s decision on the validity of the election results and the potential implications for Namibia’s democratic process.
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