Namibia: Ruling Swapo takes early lead

RESULTS from polling stations in Walvis Bay and Luderitz, where seagoing personnel voted, indicate that Swapo and its presidential candidate, Hage Geingob, have taken an early lead in the Presidential and National Assembly election.

Of the 1 440 votes counted in the two polling stations in Walvis Bay last night, Geingob received 1 347 (94%) and Swapo 1 267 (88%).

The nearest party and candidate were RDP (72 votes) and Hidipo Hamutenya (56 votes).

Swapo is also the convincing frontrunner in the sea-going personnel elections held at Lüderitz on Friday.

In the results for the presidential votes of the two participating polls, Swapo obtained a massive 90% of the total votes cast. The ruling party won 339 of the 374 votes for the nine participating presidential candidates.

The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) was in second place with 17 votes, followed by DTA of Namibia with 11, Republican Party (RP) with three, Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) with two, the Congress of Democrats (CoD) and Swanu of Namibia with one vote each, while the candidates for the All People's Party (APP) and National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo) did not receive any votes.

For the national assembly elections, Swapo established a similar lead with 326 out of the 374 votes cast. Following far behind is the RDP with 19, DTA with 13, NEFF with five, RP with four, and CoD and APP with two votes respectively.

The Christian Democratic Party and the United People's Movement received a single vote each. Swanu, the Workers Revolutionary Party, the Democratic Party of Namibia, the Monitor Action Group (MAG), the Democratic Party and United Democratic Front (UDF) all failed to get a vote.

The parties' presidential candidates are Hage Geingob (Swapo), Hidipo Hamutenya (RDP), Usutuaije Maamberua (Swanu), Asser Mbai (NUDO), Henry Mudge (RP), Epafras Mukwilongo (NEFF), Ignatius Shixwameni (APP), Ben Ulenga (CoD) and McHenry Venaani (DTA).

Sixteen political parties are contesting the general elections.

The rest of the Namibian voting population goes to the polls on 28 November.

Geingob thus seems to have received more votes than the party, a similar trend to Hifikepunye Pohamba and Sam Nujoma in the past.

The Namibian