Windhoek: Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), Elsie Nghikembua, announced the final results of the regional council and local authority elections on Saturday.
According to Namibia Press Agency, this year's RC and LA elections saw the comeback of Swapo, which reclaimed most of its lost territories from opposition parties, notably the Independent Patriots for Change in areas like Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, and the Landless People's Movement (LPM) in the south, as well as the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the Kunene Region.
Swapo, which won 112 of the 121 constituencies in 2015, lost 24 of those constituencies in the 2020 elections, before regaining a total of 17 during Wednesday's elections. The biggest losers were IPC and LPM, which lost five and 12 constituencies, respectively. IPC managed to retain Windhoek West, while LPM lost all its strongholds. The National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) lost two constituencies in Omatako to Swapo and Okakarara to the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), while the UDF also lost Kamanjab to Swapo during June's by-elections.
Elsewhere, PDM added a constituency to their rank after winning Okakarara. Independent candidates continue to gain popularity, with the addition of two more independent candidates in Tsumkwe and Rehoboth West Urban, bringing the total to six from four during the previous elections. Meanwhile, the ruling party has taken full control of the ||Kharas, Erongo, Oshikoto, Omusati and Ohangwena regions, while they continue to govern the other regions with the opposition parties.
PDM is the only opposition that managed to beat Swapo after re-establishing its dominance in the Kunene Region with three constituencies out of the total seven, with the remaining now shared equally between UDF and the ruling party. Furthermore, the ruling party has secured 206 seats across all local authorities, while the IPC has obtained 55 seats in several key areas. The LPM has achieved a total of 27 seats, PDM has 22 seats in various councils, UDF 20, the Affirmative Repositioning movement has 11, and Nudo has acquired five seats in three local authorities.
During the final announcement of results, Nghikembua expressed gratitude for the contributions of all stakeholders in upholding democratic principles while emphasising the efforts in voter education and polling day coverage, particularly by the media. She also thanked ECN's management and specially hired staff for their unwavering commitment to successful elections, overseeing voter registration, polling station operations, and result verification.
"To my fellow commissioners, your dedication to fulfilling this very important responsibility bestowed upon us is truly commendable. Thank you, colleagues. I further acknowledge the unwavering commitment of the Chief Electoral and Referenda Officer (Peter Shaama), members of management, and all permanent and hired staff of the commission who remain committed to ensuring the successful conduct of these elections," she said.
Nghikembua further congratulated the winners while reminding them of the heavy responsibility to lead Namibia into a brighter future. "You have been elected by the people of Namibia to lead them into a brighter future. A heavy responsibility has been bestowed upon you. May you meet the expectations of the Namibian nation with energy, dedication, and selflessness," she remarked.
For those who did not win, the chairperson encouraged them to accept the voters' decision gracefully, praised their participation, and urged them to keep contributing to national prosperity. Nghikembua also called on all Namibians to come together as one nation, dedicated to creating a brighter future.