Namibia has elected its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwa of the ruling SWAPO party, following last week’s disputed elections, reports BBC.
The National Election Commission announced that Nandi-Ndaitwa won over 57% of the vote, while her closest rival, Panduleni Itula of the opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), secured 26%. However, after logistical issues led to a three-day extension of voting in some areas, Itula stated that his party would not recognize the results due to potential electoral fraud. Most opposition parties boycotted the announcement of the results in the capital, Windhoek, on Tuesday evening.
“Namibia voted for peace and stability,” Nandi-Ndaitwa said after the official results were announced.
SWAPO has been in power in Namibia since the country gained independence from South Africa in 1990.
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Itula, who managed to reduce SWAPO’s share of the vote from 87% to 56% in the 2019 presidential elections, vowed to “seek justice in the courts.” The IPC also encouraged those who believed they were unable to vote due to alleged irregularities to report to the police.
