/ 10 March 2005

Namibian court orders election recount

Namibia’s High Court on Thursday ordered a recount of ballots from the November parliamentary elections that were overwhelmingly won by the ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) party.

But Judge Petrus Damaseb refused to grant a request from two opposition parties who asked that the November 15 and 16 elections be declared null and void due to serious irregularities.

”For reasons to follow, we are satisfied that we should refuse the motion which asked us to declare the National Assembly elections of November 2004 null and void and set it aside,” said Damaseb in his ruling.

He ordered that the recount begin no later than Monday and be completed by Sunday of next week, just one day ahead of the March 21 inauguration of president-elect Hifikepunye Pohamba, who will take over from veteran leader Sam Nujoma.

”The recount of the elections must commence within five calendar days of today’s judgement and conclude no later than 10 calendar days from the date of this order,” said Damaseb.

The ruling Swapo won 75,1% of the vote in the elections in the Southern African country, its third victory since Namibia’s independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

Swapo won 55 of the 72 seats in the new Assembly, whose members are scheduled to be sworn in on March 18.

The opposition Republican Party and Congress of Democrats (CoD) in December asked the High Court to nullify the parliamentary election results, arguing that voters were registered more than once and citing irregularities with ballot papers and return forms.

”Justice has won,” said Republican Party secretary general Carola Engelbrecht. ”We are extremely happy about the outcome. It proves that the judiciary is still independent in Namibia.”

Attorney General Pendukeni Ithana was taken aback by the decision.

”This is a democratic process at work and it’s now too early to say what we will decide to do.”

Election observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union called the Namibian elections — the third since independence in 1990 — free and fair.

Despite fairly smooth polling, the counting of ballots in the vast desert country of 1,82-million people became a major headache, with official results being announced almost a week later.

Pohamba, Nujoma’s chosen heir, won the presidential election held on the same two days with a whopping 76,4% of the vote.

The 69-year-old lands minister and Nujoma’s comrade in the liberation struggle is to become Namibia’s second president. — Sapa-AFP