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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A Namibian court has ordered authorities to release election documents to opposition parties contesting the results of last month's presidential and parliamentary vote, a party official said on Thursday.

Eight opposition parties have rejected the election result, which handed the ruling SWAPO party a landslide , although analysts said their protests were unlikely to have much impact.

Libolly Haufiku, spokesman for the Rally for Democracy and Progress which won 11.31 percent of the vote, said the court had allowed for the opposition to examine materials such as rejected ballots and reports from polling stations, but not the counted ballots themselves.

"The court ruled in our favour for us to be able to do a proper audit ... the process already started today," Haufiku told Reuters.

He said the parties were "working 24 hours" to gather enough evidence ahead of a January 4 deadline to submit a new request to have the election result annulled.

"If we have the evidence we need ... we would either ask for a recount of the ballot or a re-run of the elections," he said.

With 75.27 percent of the vote, SWAPO easily secured the two-thirds majority that gives it the chance to change the constitution at will.

The vote also returned President Hifikepunye Pohamba for a second term in the mineral-rich southern African country, a major producer of uranium and diamonds.

Three African observer missions have declared the elections transparent, peaceful and fair, although some recommendations were made to improve the counting process, media balance, and the accuracy of the electoral roll.