Namibia extends voting in presidential and parliamentary elections by two days

The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has extended voting in the presidential and parliamentary elections by two days in some areas affected by procedural delays. This was reported by Bloomberg news agency on November 28.

Commission Chairperson Elsie Ngikembua said that the decision to recommend to President Nangolo Mbumba to extend the term of office is in line with its duty to allow all citizens to realize their democratic rights and takes into account complaints about the process.

It is learnt that shortages of ballot papers, late arrival of mobile teams at polling stations and malfunctioning identity verification devices led to queues and some people were unable to vote before the official end of voting on November 27. In this regard, 36 polling stations will continue to operate on Friday and Saturday.

The agency informed that vote counting is already underway in areas that were not affected by the extension. The Election Commission called on citizens to remain calm and be patient until the process is completed and emphasized its commitment to fairness and transparency.

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Earlier on February 4, Namibia's acting President Nangolo Mbumba was sworn in as president of the African state. The country's new leader also appointed Foreign Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwu as vice president.

Earlier in the day, 82-year-old Namibian President Hage Geingob died. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences and noted Geingob's contribution to the development of friendly relations between the countries. The Russian leader recalled that he had the opportunity to personally meet with his colleague and noted that he would keep a bright memory of him.