Mixed results for opposition in regional polls

NOW HARD WORK ... Swapo members parade through the streets of Khorixas on Saturday, after a historical win in Friday's Regional Council and Local Authority elections. Photo: Nampa

THE 2015 regional council election has produced a mixed bag of results for Namibia’s opposition parties so far.

According to official results announced by the Electoral Commission of Namibia, Nudo has held on to the Otjinene constituency in the Omaheke region and the Okakarara constituency in Otjozondjupa, and also won the Omatako constituency in Otjozondjupa from the Swapo Party.

Swapo also lost the Otjombinde constituency in Omaheke to an independent candidate, Katjanaa Chester Kaurivi, who received 1 396 votes – more than double the 681 votes polled by Swapo candidate Karri Aaron Marenga.

In the Omatako constituency, the Nudo candidate, Israel Hukuva, beat Swapo candidate Susana Hikopua by 1 187 votes to 1 144 – a slim majority of 43 votes.

The UDF has so far lost the Kunene region constituencies of Khorixas, Kamanjab and Sesfontein – both UDF strongholds previously – to Swapo, but scored a victory over the ruling party in the Dâures constituency in Erongo.

At Khorixas, Swapo candidate Elias Xoagub beat the UDF’s Sebastiaan !Gobs by 2 554 votes to 2 008.

At Sesfontein, Swapo’s candidate, Julius Koujova, received 1 514 votes, while his closest challenger, the UDF’s Hendrik Goabaeb, received 1 063 votes. Two independent candidates and an RDP candidate in the Sesfontein constituency received a combined 687 votes – more than the vote difference between the Swapo and UDF candidates.

While the DTA held on to the Epupa and Opuwo Rural constituencies in Kunene, the UDF’s loss of three constituencies in the region and Swapo’s win in the Kamanjab and Opuwo Urban constituencies will see the ruling party capturing a majority of seats in the Kunene Regional Council for the first time.

DTA candidate Nguzu Muharukua was chosen by 3 672 voters at Epupa, while Swapo’s Jona Kakordo received 3 260 votes. In the Opuwo Rural constituency, 2 209 voters opted for the DTA’s candidate, Kazeongere Tjeundo, while 732 votes were cast for Swapo’s Agnes Musaso and Nudo’s candidate, Japiavi Mbinge, received 895 votes.

In Hardap, the United People’s Movement candidate in the Rehoboth Urban West constituency, Laurena Christ, beat the Swapo candidate, agriculture deputy minister Theo Diergaardt, after receiving 1 975 votes to Diergaardt’s 1 479.

The Rally for Democracy and Progress has lost the Windhoek East constituency, which it won in the 2010 regional council election. Swapo candidate Ruusa Joyce Namuhuja beat the RDP’s candidate, Jens Schneider, by 1 795 votes to 1 169, while DTA candidate Reggie Diergaardt received 743 votes – which is more than Namuhuja’s majority over Schneider.

Article: Werner Menges