Voting in the Namibian vice-presidential elections.
Voting continues this Wednesday for the presidential elections in the African country of Namibia. There is enthusiasm among the people for the elections. People had started lining up since night to cast their vote. There are a total of 14 candidates in these elections, but the main contest is between ruling party SWAPO candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwa and opposition candidate Panduleni Itula.
Experts say that after 10 years, elections in the country are expected to be very close. Many experts believe that the SWAPO party, which has been in power since the country’s independence, may have to face defeat this time. According to the Electoral Commission, 1.4 million people are registered to vote.
Unemployment and corruption are major problems
Unemployment, inequality and corruption continue to be the main problems of this election. In recent years, Namibia has seen relatively strong economic growth due to investment in oil, gas and green hydrogen. However, according to data from the World Bank, this country ranks second in the world in terms of income inequality.
Speaking on these issues in the elections, ruling party candidate Nandi-Ndaitwa said the biggest challenge before us is unemployment. If we win, we will work first on job creation.
The results will be historic
The results after the elections could be historic. If the ruling party wins, the country will have a female president for the first time and if the opposition candidate wins, it will also be historic, because it will be the first time after independence that the country will have a president from another party.
Question of credibility for the SWAPO party
The biggest challenge facing the SWAPO party in the elections being held in Namibia. The party faces the challenge of retaining power. In the last elections, the party had seen a huge drop in vote share. In 2014, the party got 56 percent of the votes, while in 2019 it dropped to 56. In these elections too, there is a tough challenge from the opposition parties.
