Thousands left queuing to vote in Namibia after scheduled polls close

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA — 

Logistical issues connected Wednesday near thousands of Namibians waiting successful queues to ballot successful pivotal statesmanlike and legislative elections, immoderate for up to 12 hours, with polling stations staying unfastened hours aboriginal than planned.

The ballot could usher successful the godforsaken nation's archetypal pistillate person adjacent arsenic her party, the ruling South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) faces the strongest situation yet to its 34-year grip connected power.

Some voters told AFP they queued each day, blaming method problems that included issues with elector recognition tablets and insufficient ballot papers.

"It's perfectly disappointing," said Reagan Cooper, a 43-year-old husbandman among the 100 oregon truthful voters extracurricular the municipality hallway polling presumption successful the capital, Windhoek.

"The voters person turned out, but the electoral committee has failed us," Cooper told AFP.

In the look of disapproval from each the governmental parties, including SWAPO, the Electoral Commission of Namibia extended voting hours for "no specified time," according to Windhoek portion ECN caput Rakondjerua Kavari.

Voting was halted for an hr astatine the Windhoek municipality hallway tract owed to a deficiency of ballots, with applause welcoming the transportation of much waking sleepy, seated voters astir 11:30 p.m.

The past elector determination formed his ballot much than 4 hours aft the scheduled closing clip -- 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) -- and ballot counting past began astir immediately.

According to Namibia's electoral law, those successful queues earlier polls are scheduled to adjacent should beryllium allowed to vote.

Petrus Shaama, main serviceman of the ECN, said it was obligated to guarantee voters could formed a ballot.

But the main absorption party, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), blamed the ECN for the agelong lines and cried foul play.

"We person crushed to judge that the ECN is deliberately suppressing voters and deliberately trying to frustrate voters from casting their vote," said Christine Aochamus of the IPC.

Armed with folding chairs and umbrellas to header with the slow-moving lines and blazing sun, galore Namibians spent fractional the time waiting to vote.

At 1 polling presumption wrong the University of Science and Technology successful Windhoek, hundreds of radical were inactive successful enactment astatine 9:00 p.m. contempt immoderate having arrived astatine 6 a.m., an hr earlier polls opened.

Polling tract managers told AFP that problems with tablets utilized to cheque voters' identities utilizing fingerprints included untimely updates, overheating and dormant batteries.

Unemployment

SWAPO's campaigner and existent vice president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, was 1 of the archetypal to ballot and called connected Namibians "to travel retired successful their numbers."

An estimated 1.5 cardinal radical successful the sparsely populated federation were registered to vote.

SWAPO has governed since starring mineral-rich Namibia to independency from South Africa successful 1990 but complaints astir unemployment and enduring inequalities could unit Nandi-Ndaitwah into an unprecedented 2nd round.

IPC person Panduleni Itula, a erstwhile dentist and lawyer, said Wednesday helium was optimistic helium could "unseat the revolutionary movement."

Itula, 67, took 29% of votes successful the 2019 elections, losing to SWAPO person Hage Geingob with 56%. It was a singular show considering Geingob, who died successful February, had won astir 87% 5 years earlier that.

Namibia is simply a large uranium and diamond exporter but not galore of its astir 3 cardinal radical person benefitted from that wealth.

"There's a batch of mining enactment that goes connected successful the country, but it doesn't truly construe into improved infrastructure, occupation opportunities," said autarkic governmental expert Marisa Lourenco, based successful Johannesburg.

"That's wherever a batch of the vexation is coming from, (especially) the youth," she said.

Unemployment among 15- to 34-year-olds is estimated astatine 46%, according to the latest figures from 2018, astir triple the nationalist average.

First-time elector and biology wellness pupil Sophia Varela, 24, told AFP she was "hoping for change" and "jobs for the youth."

Second round

For the archetypal clip successful Namibia's caller history, analysts accidental a 2nd voting circular is simply a somewhat realistic option.

That would instrumentality spot wrong 60 days of the announcement of the archetypal circular of results owed by Saturday.

"The result volition beryllium tight," said self-employed Hendry Amupanda, 32, who queued since 9 p.m. the nighttime earlier to formed his ballot.

"I privation the state to get amended and radical to get jobs," said Amupanda, wearing slippers and equipped with a chair, broad and snacks.

Marvyn Pescha, a self-employed consultant, said his begetter was portion of SWAPO's liberation conflict and helium was not going to wantonness the party.

"But I privation SWAPO to beryllium challenged for amended policies. Some opportunistic leaders person tarnished the estimation of the party, they misuse it for self-enrichment," the 50-year-old said.

While lauded for starring Namibia to independence, SWAPO is tense astir its lasting aft different liberation-era movements successful the portion person mislaid favour with young voters.

In the past six months, South Africa's African National Congress mislaid its parliamentary bulk and the Botswana Democratic Party was ousted aft astir six decades successful power.