Namibia has elected Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country’s Vice-President, as its first female president following a contentious election.
At 72, Nandi-Ndaitwah makes history as the first woman to hold the presidency in Namibia, a nation led by the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) since its independence in 1990.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) declared her victory, securing more than 57 percent of the vote.
Panduleni Itula, the candidate from the main opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), came second with 25.5 percent of the votes.
The election process faced significant setbacks, including repeated extensions due to logistical and technical issues, such as a shortage of ballot papers and long waiting times at polling stations.
On the first day of voting, some voters abandoned the process after waiting for up to 12 hours.
The IPC has condemned the extensions, alleging that they were a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters, and announced it would not accept the election results.
Itula accused the process of having numerous irregularities, stating that the IPC would take legal action to challenge the results.
Election observers from a southern African human rights group also claimed that the delays were widespread and intentional.
The ECN acknowledged several issues, including ballot paper shortages and the overheating of electronic tablets used for voter registration.
