NAMIBIA: Recount confirms ruling party victory

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

WINDHOEK, 16 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - The recount of votes cast in Namibia's national elections, held in November last year, has confirmed the ruling party's landslide victory.

The results of the recount were announced on Wednesday night. The process began on Sunday after two Namibian opposition parties won a court ruling last week ordering the recount.

The opposition parties had alleged that the voters' roll was inflated, and the unusually high turnout of around 85 percent of the electorate was "questionable". The discovery of 22 abandoned ballot papers - some of them half burnt - all cast in favour of opposition parties, was also seized on as evidence of irregularities.

About 800 government officials from across the country were summoned to the Windhoek show grounds and trade fair centre on Sunday morning to help recount about 820,000 ballots. Opposition parties, NGOs and human rights observers were also invited to send observers.

The results of the recount mean there will be no change in seat allocations in Namibia's parliament. Although the recount did differ from the results in November, in that there were some 9,400 fewer ballot papers counted, the ruling SWAPO party lost just 178 votes.

Only one opposition party gained more than 1,000 votes in the recount, the United Democratic Front, while eight others gained a few hundred votes.

Secretary-general of the opposition Republican Party Carola Engelbrecht told IRIN the recount "result is a joke and we will take further action". The party will hold a press conference on Thursday to outline its plans. Congress of Democrats official Elma Dienda said her party also rejected the results of the recount.

SWAPO officials, meanwhile, celebrated their poll victory anew.

[ENDS]