Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and his ruling South West African People’s Organization (SWAPO) retained a runaway lead in the nation’s fifth post-independence elections with almost half the ballots counted.
SWAPO won 76.6 percent of the 393,074 certified votes from 44 of 107 regional offices, figures released by the Electoral Commission of Namibia at 7:51am yesterday showed. The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), formed in 2007 by former SWAPO members, was second with 10.6 percent, while the United Democratic Front had 3.05 percent.
Results from the presidential race showed Pohamba securing 77.82 percent of the 397,485 certified ballots cast and RDP leader Hidipo Hamutenya, a one-time foreign minister, followed with 10.32 percent of the vote so far.
About 1.18 million people registered to vote in the elections last Friday and Saturday. Opposition parties say the election was marred by irregularities and that the slow release of the results may allow rigging. The commission has denied the allegation, and three African observer missions have declared the balloting free and fair.
Namibia is the world’s largest producer of offshore diamonds, most of which are mined by Namdeb, a joint venture between the government and De Beers, the world’s No. 1 diamond company. The country is also Africa’s second-biggest producer of uranium, with mines operated by Paladin Energy Ltd and Rio Tinto Group, and has gold and zinc deposits.
In power since 1990, SWAPO won 55 of the 72 National Assembly seats in the previous elections in 2004.
In the sweltering streets of Jakarta, buskers carry towering, hollow puppets and pass around a bucket for donations. Now, they fear becoming outlaws. City authorities said they would crack down on use of the sacred ondel-ondel puppets, which can stand as tall as a truck, and they are drafting legislation to remove what they view as a street nuisance. Performances featuring the puppets — originally used by Jakarta’s Betawi people to ward off evil spirits — would be allowed only at set events. The ban could leave many ondel-ondel buskers in Jakarta jobless. “I am confused and anxious. I fear getting raided or even
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