Namibia’s main opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), announced on Saturday that it plans to challenge the results of last month’s contentious election in court. This announcement came just a day after a court allowed the IPC and another opposition party to review election materials.
The opposition parties have raised concerns about irregularities in the presidential and parliamentary elections held on November 27. Despite these claims, the ruling South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) won both contests, maintaining its 34-year hold on power.
The IPC believes that reviewing the election data will help strengthen their case in their legal challenge, which is set for December 23. The court’s decision on Friday mandates that the electoral commission provide the requested documents, including vote counts from each polling station, by next week.
The election was marred by issues such as a shortage of ballot papers and technical glitches, causing some polling stations to stay open for up to three days. Despite these problems, the electoral commission declared the vote to be fair and free.
President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who is set to take office in March as the country’s first female president, has dismissed the opposition’s allegations, asserting that the election was conducted properly.
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