Namibia: Election Results Not the Will of the People - LPM

The Landless People's Movement (LPM) has rejected the results of the just-concluded presidential and National Assembly election, saying it does not reflect the will of the people.

The party, led by Bernadus Swartbooi, says the results which elected Swapo candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah as president and saw Swapo earning 51 parliamentary seats were not free and fair.

"What we have been saying since the day before the elections is that we do not believe that these elections were free and fair. Even observer missions have highlighted issues with how the Electoral Commission of Namibia managed the process.

"We cannot in good conscience accept these results as the results of the will of the people," LPM spokesperson Lifazala Simataa told The Namibian on Thursday.

According to the party, their expected growth in support was not reflected in the results, despite years of visible campaigning and grassroots work.

LPM only managed to get one extra parliamentary seat, from 4 to 5.

"LPM's growth was never in question . . . but now we have a situation where the election itself or the process of allowing for an election to occur in this country that is free and fair did not occur."

"Therefore, these results in itself, again, are not a reflection of the people or the will of the Namibian people," Simataa said.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.