Voting is below method in Namibia in what might be probably the most aggressive election since independence from white-ruled South Africa 34 years in the past.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is looking for to grow to be the nation’s first feminine president.
She is the candidate of the governing South West Africa’s Folks’s Organisation (Swapo), to exchange Hage Geingob, who died in February after 9 years in workplace.
However excessive unemployment, poverty, inequality and corruption allegations have eroded help for the occasion.
Nandi-Ndaitwah’s predominant challenger is Panduleni Itula of the Impartial Patriots for Change (IPC) occasion, in addition to 13 different candidates.
Native media confirmed that lengthy queues had already fashioned at colleges and different polling centres as voting started on Wednesday morning.
However there have additionally been stories of poll shortages at some polling stations.
The voting, which began at 07:00 native time (05:00 GMT) closes at 21:00.
Swapo has been in energy since main the nation to independence in 1990.
A candidate requires greater than 50% of the vote for outright victory, or there will probably be a second spherical run-off between the highest two candidates.
Outcomes are anticipated over the approaching days.
Nandi-Ndaitwa solid her poll within the capital Windhoek because the polls opened, urging fellow Namibians to exit and solid their vote, saying it would “have an effect for the following 5 years in your life”.
She is up towards a standard and male-dominated political tradition within the nation.
However she is a trusted chief having served in excessive authorities workplace for 1 / 4 of a century.
Itula, a former dentist and lawyer, took 29% of the votes within the final elections in 2019, shedding to Swapo chief Geingob, who acquired 56%.
He stated this was an vital day for Namibia’s democracy, as he solid his vote within the capital.
Namibia is presently led by interim President Nangolo Mbumba, who took over in February after Geingob died, however he’s not working.
Analysts say the end result may rely upon younger voters, who make up greater than half of the citizens.
Namibians are additionally selecting new members of parliament.
Namibia is an enormous and peaceable nation with a sparse inhabitants of about three million, round half of whom are eligible to vote.
