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About 1.2mn Namibians peacefully lined up to vote for a new president and parliament yesterday, in Africa’s first poll based on an electronic system. |
Voting was delayed at some of the 1,200 fixed and 2,700 mobile polling stations due to the malfunctioning of the new electronic ballot system that verifies voters’ fingerprints, the electoral commission said.
“We have been experiencing some problems with the fingerprint verification system,” said Crispin Kapuka, presiding officer at the Van Rhijn Primary School polling station in the capital, Windhoek.
“When we cannot find that person on the fingerprint system, we have to look for their names on the printed voters roll. That’s causing the process to slow down,” he told DPA.
But long queues did not discourage voters who brought foldout chairs, sun umbrellas and even laptops to ease the wait.
“I stood in the queue for five hours,” said Linda Scott at a polling station in the capital Windhoek.
The atmosphere was nonetheless merry and relaxed, according to Scott.
The election is expected to be won by Prime Minister Hage Geingob and secure a sixth straight victory for the ruling South-West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) party.
Serving twice as prime minister in the former German colony rich in diamonds and uranium, 73-year-old Geingob faces eight challengers in the race to replace President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who has been in power since 2005 and is barred from running for a third term.
Swapo, which has ruled Namibia since independence in 1990, is expected to preserve it two-thirds majority in parliament.
Many young voters, frustrated with Swapo’s failure to address widespread poverty in one of Africa’s richest countries, are backing the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance opposition party.
Its 37-year-old chief, former minister McHenry Venaani, is running for president.
Polling stations opened at 0500 GMT and were set to close at 1900 GMT with results expected by morning today.
More than 40% of Namibia’s population live in poverty. In addition to diamond and uranium extraction, Namibia is also a major travel destination, drawing tourists to the Namib desert that runs along its coast.
Around 1.2mn Namibians are eligible to cast their ballots at nearly 4,000 electronic voting places across the vast desert nation.
Other African nations such as Kenya have run pilot or limited e-voting, but none have done so on this scale.
Voting began slowly yesterday as presiding officers rolled out the new electronic voting system.
With each vote, the chunky green and white machines emitted a loud “beep!”
“The younger people get it first time, but the older ones you have to explain a little,” said presiding officer Hertha Erastus.