Namibia to hold general election

Namibia will hold its general election today, electing a new president and members of the National Assembly.

The SWAPO party has held power since Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990. However, the SWAPO administration has become increasingly unpopular, as during former President Hage Geingob’s reelection he received only 56% of the vote, a steep decline from the 87% received during his initial campaign. For this election, President Geingob nominated Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as the SWAPO candidate, which could make her Namibia’s first female president.

Ms. Nandi-Ndaitwah’s results in this year’s general election will be telling of the future of Namibian politics. Support for Nandi-Ndaitwah has already been groundbreaking, as she was previously elected as the first female vice-president of the SWAPO party. However, her allegiance to the increasingly unpopular SWAPO party may be off-putting for voters this election. One key opponent to look out for is Panduleni Itula, who leads the Independent Patriots for Change, and earned 29% of the vote in the last general election. Candidates need more than 50% of the vote to win, so Mr. Itula will require a steep increase in votes to do so. However, much of his support comes from younger voters, who make up more than half of eligible voters. Their turnout will be key in deciding Namibia’s future.