Namibia elected its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, from the ruling party, in the first round with 57.31% of the vote, the electoral commission of this desert country in southern Africa announced on Tuesday evening. .
Swapo, the party of the current vice-president nicknamed “NNN”, has ruled the vast mineral-rich country, which has only three million inhabitants, two-thirds of whom are under 30, since its independence in 1990.
“Thank you for your trust,” said the new president soberly, in a long orange silk dress, fine glasses and matching hat, affirming that she would keep her commitments made to voters.
During a campaign in which she strove to equate old age with wisdom, she notably promised the creation of more than 250,000 jobs in five years, warning that “the business world can only prosper if politics is stable”. She also pledged to attract investments “through political diplomacy”.
Daughter of an Anglican pastor, who passed through Russia during his exile in the 1970s, the activist studied in the Komsomol, the youth organization of the Soviet Communist Party.
A figure in the struggle for independence, Ms. Nandi-Ndaitwah takes conservative positions, notably being a supporter of strict legislation on abortion.
His first opponent, Panduleni Itula, came far behind with only 25.50% of the votes in this election which saw high participation, but also numerous mix-ups forcing the vote to be extended by several days.
The leader of the main opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), announced last weekend that he would not recognize the results.
“Multiple irregularities”
The presidential and legislative elections of November 27 had to be extended twice due to logistical and technical problems, including a shortage of ballot papers.
On the first day of voting, endless queues forced some voters to give up, after waiting up to 12 hours.
The country, proud of its peace and the solidity of its democracy, turned out widely with participation of more than 76% of those registered, according to the electoral commission.
Mr. Itula, a 67-year-old former dentist and lawyer, denounced chaotic elections which were subject, according to him, to “multiple irregularities”.
He indicated that he intended to have this election “cancelled” according to “the procedures provided for”, “whatever the result”. “We cannot describe these elections as free, fair and legitimate,” he denounced on Saturday.
The Southern African Human Rights Lawyers’ Organization, which sent an observation mission, reported “deliberate delays in the arrival of ballot papers.”
Cases of overheating of electronic tablets used to verify identities and shortages of ballots in many offices, having considerably slowed down the vote, were highlighted by the observation missions of the African Union (AU) and the Community of Southern African Development (SADC).
The South West African People’s Organization (Swapo), the former Marxist-inspired movement from the time of the struggle against the occupation of apartheid South Africa, has recently seen its popularity increase. erode under the weight of massive unemployment among young people, who have become a large part of the electorate.
Unequal country
Namibia, which is among the world’s leading suppliers of uranium, remains, after South Africa, the second most unequal country on the planet, according to the World Bank.
“The abundant mining activity does not really translate into improved infrastructure or job opportunities,” observes independent analyst Marisa Lourenço, which “fuels the frustration of young people.” Some 46% of 18-34 year olds were unemployed in 2018, according to the latest official figures.
This article was automatically published. Sources: ats / afp
