Afran : Parties complain of irregularities in Namibia vote
on 2009/11/30 15:19:01
Afran

20091129

WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Four Namibian opposition parties including the main challenger to ruling SWAPO complained on Sunday of voting irregularities in the country's two-day presidential and parliamentary elections.

First results were expected to be known about midday, with President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) forecast to win a fourth five-year term, but by mid-afternoon no numbers had been reported.

The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), seen becoming the official opposition, said some ballot papers lacked an identification stamp, making them invalid, and the ink identifying voters was removable in some cases, allowing people to vote twice. The voters roll was also contested.

"There are a lot of people who have been deprived of their right to cast their votes by the recklessness of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN)," Jesaya Nyamu, secretary-general of the RDP, told Reuters.

Three other parties, the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, the Republican Party of Namibia and the South West Africa National Union also raised concerns about irregularities and SWAPO's youth league asked the ECN to investigate.

"The process is going to be credible because there are observers here but the irregularities still need to be addressed. SWAPO will win, but we want to win credibly," youth league leader Elijah Ngurare told Reuters.

The ECN did not say whether the matter would be addressed.

"The politics are over, let's count the votes now," ECN director Moses Ndjarakana said.

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