Namibian presidential election, 2009
Encyclopedia
A presidential and parliamentary election was held on 27–28 November 2009 in Namibia
. It was the fourth general election since independence and the fifth democratic election. Voting ended on 28 November and official election results, released on 4 December, showed that Hifikepunye Pohamba
and his SWAPO Party were re-elected, each with over 75% of the vote. Prior to the election, the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) was widely expected to score a landslide victory, with the Rally for Democracy and Progress
(RDP) considered SWAPO's biggest challenger. Fourteen political parties competed for seats in the National Assembly of Namibia
, and twelve candidates ran for the Presidency.
in November 2007, current President Hifikepunye Pohamba
was elected President of SWAPO and also received the party's nomination for President in 2009. SWAPO ended up winning 54 seats, a one-seat loss from the third National Assembly.
, a former government minister of SWAPO. The RDP was considered the main opposition to the ruling SWAPO. It gained eight seats in the National Assembly and became the Official Opposition.
(NUDO) was the first political party to officially submit their candidate, Kuaima Riruako
, for President.
sometime in 2009, the Electoral Commission assured the National Assembly that they would not be used in the 2009 elections.
with 191%, Okatyali
with 189%, and Ohangwena
with 175%. Further "minor" concerns were people being allowed to vote on behalf of someone else, voters asked to disclose their political affiliation at polling stations, and people allowed to vote twice.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. It was the fourth general election since independence and the fifth democratic election. Voting ended on 28 November and official election results, released on 4 December, showed that Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba is the second and current President of Namibia. He won the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections overwhelmingly as the candidate of the South West Africa People's Organisation ruling party, taking office in March 2005. He has also been the President of SWAPO since...
and his SWAPO Party were re-elected, each with over 75% of the vote. Prior to the election, the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) was widely expected to score a landslide victory, with the Rally for Democracy and Progress
Rally for Democracy and Progress (Namibia)
The Rally for Democracy and Progress is an opposition political party in Namibia. It was launched on November 17 2007 under the leadership of Hidipo Hamutenya and Jesaya Nyamu, both former leading members of the ruling SWAPO party and cabinet ministers. Hamutenya had unsuccessfully sought the SWAPO...
(RDP) considered SWAPO's biggest challenger. Fourteen political parties competed for seats in the National Assembly of Namibia
National Assembly of Namibia
The National Assembly of Namibia is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral Parliament. It has a total of 78 members. 72 members are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms. Six additional members are appointed by the President.The...
, and twelve candidates ran for the Presidency.
SWAPO
The ruling SWAPO party set a goal of winning all 72 seats in the National Assembly and controlling the NA "until the second coming of Jesus Christ". At the SWAPO party congressParty Congress
A party congress is a general conference of a political party. The congress is attended by delegates who represent the party membership. In most parties the party congress is the highest decision making body of the organisation and elects the party's leadership bodies such as the National Executive...
in November 2007, current President Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Pohamba
Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba is the second and current President of Namibia. He won the 2004 and 2009 presidential elections overwhelmingly as the candidate of the South West Africa People's Organisation ruling party, taking office in March 2005. He has also been the President of SWAPO since...
was elected President of SWAPO and also received the party's nomination for President in 2009. SWAPO ended up winning 54 seats, a one-seat loss from the third National Assembly.
RDP
This was the first general election for the Rally for Democracy and Progress. The party's nominee for President was Hidipo HamutenyaHidipo Hamutenya
Hidipo L. Hamutenya is a Namibian politician. A long-time leading member of the South West Africa People's Organization , Hamutenya was a member of the Cabinet of Namibia from independence in 1990 to 2004...
, a former government minister of SWAPO. The RDP was considered the main opposition to the ruling SWAPO. It gained eight seats in the National Assembly and became the Official Opposition.
NUDO
On 16 October 2009, the National Unity Democratic OrganisationNational Unity Democratic Organisation
The National Unity Democratic Organisation is a political party in Namibia that is based among the Herero. NUDO was part of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance from the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference of the 1970s until it withdrew in September 2003, accusing the DTA of failing to work for...
(NUDO) was the first political party to officially submit their candidate, Kuaima Riruako
Kuaima Riruako
Kuaima Riruako is a politician in Namibia. Riruako is also the paramount chief of the Herero and a National Unity Democratic Organisation representative in Parliament, also called "Okahandja Herero" by some...
, for President.
Observers
The National Society for Human Rights' observer status was withdrawn by the electoral commission, which said it was "not impartial". The organisation said it would approach the High Court to contest the decision; the court later ordered the commission to reinstate the organisation.Procedure
Though the country planned to buy electronic voting machines from IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
sometime in 2009, the Electoral Commission assured the National Assembly that they would not be used in the 2009 elections.
Results
Hifikepunye Pohamba was re-elected as President of Namibia with 611,241 votes, more than six times as many as Hamutenya, his nearest rival, received.Delay controversy
Final results were announced on 4 December, the longest delay between voting and the publication of results of any Namibian election (6 days). The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) blamed the delay on a recent amendment to the Electoral Act which had caused "logistical nightmares [they had] never experienced before" and a "cumbersome" verification process. The ECN had received criticism from political parties, civil societies and the general public for the delay. Following publication of the results, 8 of the 13 opposition parties stated that they did not accept the results and were instructing their lawyers to challenge the ECN in court "for contravening the electoral law of the country". Electoral observers have pronounced the polls to be free and fair but recommended that the ECN speed up the counting process and free up access to the media for all parties.Accuracy controversy
The accuracy of the results of this election has been questioned, not only by the defeated opposition parties but also by the Namibian Society of Human Rights (NSHR). The voters roll was the main subject of contention, having contained 1 181 835 entries at the time of first publication six weeks prior to the election but shrinking to 820 305 entries within a matter of days. Also the voter turnout has been questioned as there were a number of constituencies that had a turnout of over 100%, on top of the list Windhoek EastWindhoek East
Windhoek East is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. It consists of the upper-class suburbs of Windhoek: Auasblick, Avis, Klein Windhoek, Ludwigsdorf, Luxury Hill, Olympia, and Suiderhof...
with 191%, Okatyali
Okatyali Constituency
Okatyali Constituency is an electoral constituency in the Oshana Region of Namibia. It has 2,815 inhabitants, its district capital is the settlement of Okatyali....
with 189%, and Ohangwena
Ohangwena Constituency
Ohangwena is a constituency in the Ohangwena Region of Namibia, on the border to Angola. It has 17,539 inhabitants, the district centre is the town of Ohangwena.- References :...
with 175%. Further "minor" concerns were people being allowed to vote on behalf of someone else, voters asked to disclose their political affiliation at polling stations, and people allowed to vote twice.