By Africbriefing
Namibia Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a legal challenge by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which sought to have the country’s 2024 presidential election declared invalid due to extended voting in some regions.
As reported by AFP, the opposition party refused to recognise the election outcome, arguing that President Nangolo Mbumba had exceeded his constitutional powers by extending voting for two additional days in specific areas.
However, Chief Justice Peter Shivute, delivering the ruling, declared that the presidential proclamation to extend voting was legal.
‘We are satisfied that the ECN was competent to recommend and the president had the power… as occasion required, to make it possible for voters who would otherwise be disenfranchised to vote,’ said Shivute.
Voting extension declared lawful
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) had advised President Mbumba to extend voting beyond the initially scheduled single-day poll due to logistical and technical failures, which resulted in long queues at polling stations.
Shivute clarified that the extension did not amount to scheduling a new election, but rather ensuring that all voters had the opportunity to cast their ballots.
SWAPO’s historic victory stands
The ruling confirms SWAPO’s victory with 57 percent of the votes, securing a landmark moment in Namibian politics as Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is set to become the nation’s first female president next month.
The IPC’s Panduleni Itula, who secured 25.5 percent of the vote, accepted the court’s decision.
‘Let’s accept it and move on. Namibia will never develop if we continue to blame each other,’ said Itula, acknowledging the authority of the constitution.
Political stability prioritised
Legal experts noted that while the ruling favours political stability, some doubts about the electoral process remain.
Henning Melber, a Namibia expert at the Nordic Africa Institute in Sweden, told AFP that had voting been extended nationwide, there would have been fewer suspicions surrounding the process.
The court also ruled that both parties should share legal costs, a decision Melber described as ‘a peace offer’ aimed at maintaining political harmony.
With this ruling, Namibia moves forward with its first female president-elect, while the opposition’s legal challenge comes to an end.
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