• Sasol in black
  empowerment move
• Uganda prostitute
  workshop banned
• How voting went
  across the country
  
• Many die in Angolan
  base collapse
  
• Brain drain
  Why some of Africa's
  top scientists take
  their skills overseas
• Arrests over Ethiopia's
  fake gold
• What's the cost
  of an education?

• Tricky dealings in
  hostage case
• Chad pardons French
  aid workers
• US charges embassy
  bomb suspect

• Tutu wants SA
  arms deal inquiry
• Uganda rebels '
  kidnapping' in CAR

.

Namibia

Added |2009, 12

Swapo Leads the Pack

Meanwhile, the Rally for Democracy and Progress has joined Swapo as one of only two significant political forces in Namibia. The wildcard RDP, founded two years ago by Hidipo Hamutenya and several other breakaway former Swapo members, appears to have slaughtered the rest of the opposition according to official and unofficial results available by late yesterday afternoon. With thousands of votes still remaining to be verified and officially announced in more than 95 constituencies, the demise of the CoD and DTA at the polls has emerged as the most surprising aspect so far from the unofficial results. By last night official statistics released by the Electoral Commission of Namibia revealed that Swapo had collected 29 671 of the 47 661 votes counted and verified. That was against the 5 298 of the RDP - their nearest rivals.

As expected, President Hifikepunye Pohamba is running away in the presidential race with 30 205 votes of the 47 905 available by last night. He was followed by the RDP's Hidipo Hamutenya with 5 612. There was a general expectation that RDP would challenge for opposition status and that the CoD would struggle because of infighting which resulted in leadership splits. OPPOSITION STRUGGLING However, the CoD was not expected to lose as much support as has been witnessed over the past two days. A casual glance at the DTA's performance from the available unofficial results shows that the party is struggling to maintain support. The party, which was the main opposition from Independence until 1999, when the CoD took over that position, has seen a decline in support over the years and there are no signs so far in the preliminary results that its fortunes will change.

In fact, indications are that the party could shed more of its voter percentage compared to 2004, if the unofficial results from parts of Windhoek, Otjinene, Hardap and Karas are anything to go by. In the 2004 election, the DTA garnered 5,14 per cent of the vote, or 42 070 votes, but the party has become a mere shadow of its former self. SWAPO AND THE SOUTH Swapo was yesterday anxiously keeping a close watch on the outstanding results but remained optimistic as the main voting constituencies from the North started to trickle in. However, the ruling party elite must be worried about the serious challenge from the RDP in the Keetmanshoop Rural constituency, where Swapo won by only 80 votes. All indications were that the majority of CoD votes in that constituency - they had 1 128 in 2004 - moved to the RDP as they are now left with only 126 votes. The same pattern also played out in the Rehoboth Rural constituency where the RDP got 612 votes against 1 007 for Swapo. The CoD collected only 70. In 2004, the CoD took 622 in the Rehoboth Rural constituency compared to Swapo's 1 399 but the general turnout of voters five years ago was 3 130 as opposed to 2 512 now. At Gibeon the ruling party has done it again. The swing votes at the village of the late Deputy Prime Minister Hendrik Witbooi went to the RDP but were not enough to stop Swapo from crossing the line first. Swapo pocketed 1 634 votes to the 748 of RDP and 215 of the Democratic Party of Namibia. The CoD's votes dropped from 1 454 five years ago to 137. THE UDF From the two official results in the United Democratic Front stronghold it seems like Chief Justus //Garoëb's party may manage to weather the Swapo challenge. At Okombahe, the traditional seat of the Damara people, and surrounding areas of the Daures constituency, the UDF scored the highest votes with 1 535 against 973 for Swapo and 663 for the National Unity Democratic Organisation (Nudo). The party also kept its support in the Sesfontein constituency of the Kunene Region where they scored highest with 1 142 votes. However, it was hit and miss for Swapo, which scored 50 fewer votes than UDF. Nudo also performed well in their stronghold - the Otjinene constituency of the Omaheke Region.

The party of Chief Kuaima Riruako finished with 1 407 against Swapo's 763. The DTA was in Swapo's shade with 337 while the RDP managed 102 votes. HEARTLAND Early trends emerging from Swapo's heartland is a total victory for the ruling party in the North-Central regions. The Omuntele constituency in the Oshikoto Region scored 6 550 votes for Swapo against the RDP's 68. The picture did not change much in Kabbe constituency (Caprivi) when the official results came through. Swapo scored an overwhelming majority with 3 024 votes against the 234 of the RDP. During the last election the CoD had 90 votes there, but it only managed 16 - the same number as the Republican Party - this time around.

allafrica.