Government Politics of Namibia

Last elections: November 2014 (presidential and legislative)

Next elections: 2019

Head of state: President Hage Geingob

Head of government: The President

Ruling party: SWAPO

The elections in November/December 1999 produced a clear win for both the South-West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) and President Sam Nujoma. Nujoma secured close to 75% of the votes cast in the presidential poll, while Ben Ulenga of the recently formed Congress of Democrats (CoD) took 11% and the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) candidate Kautuuture Kaura 10%. In the parliamentary contest, SWAPO won 55 seats (76% of the votes), the CoD seven (10%) and the DTA seven (9.5%).

In 2001 Nujoma announced he would not seek a fourth term of office and, at its 2004 congress, Hifikepunye Pohamba was chosen as the SWAPO candidate for the presidential election in November 2004.

The November 2004 presidential and legislative elections were won in landslide victories by Pohamba (76.4% of votes) and SWAPO (55 of 72 seats and 75% of the votes). Ulenga (CoD) received 7.3% of the votes in the presidential election and Kaura (DTA) 5.1%, while the CoD won five seats and DTA four.

Pohamba and SWAPO were again returned to government in November 2009 in another landslide. In the presidential poll Pohamba received 76.4% of votes and his main challenger, Hidipo Hamutenya of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP), 11.1%. In the legislative elections SWAPO won 54 seats (and 75.3% of votes) and the RDP 8 seats (11.3%).

On 28 November 2014, in Africa’s first electronic ballot, SWAPO’s presidential candidate, Hage Geingob, secured 86.7% of the votes. DTA’s presidential candidate, McHenry Venaani, received 5.0% of the votes and RDP’s Hidipo Hamutenya 3.4%. In the legislative elections on the same day SWAPO won 77 seats (80.0% of the votes), DTA 5 and RDP 3. President Geingob and his new government were sworn in on 21 March 2015.