Namibia’s ruling party candidate ahead with two-thirds of votes in

Windhoek – Namibia was headed for its first woman president with two-thirds of the votes from last week’s election counted by early Tuesday, giving the governing party candidate a strong lead in a vote the main opposition has already rejected as a sham.

Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah from the SWAPO party that has led the mineral-rich country since independence 34 years ago had just over 54 percent of votes, according to an electoral commission tally of nearly 66 percent of votes.

The leader of the main opposition Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), Panduleni Itula, was well behind with just over 28 percent of votes, it said.

The November 27 election was extended twice as logistical and technical problems, including a shortage of ballot papers, led to long queues that meant some voters gave up on the first day of voting after waiting for up to 12 hours.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, could be forced into a second-round run-off vote if she does not have more than 50 percent of votes when all results are in.

If she wins, she would be the first woman to rule the sparsely populated and arid country of around three million people.

Itula, 67, has said there were a “multitude of irregularities” and no matter the result, “the IPC shall not recognise the outcome of that election”.

“The rule of law has been grossly violated and we cannot call these elections by any means or measure as free, fair and legitimate,” Itula said on Saturday, the last day of the extended vote.

The results released early Tuesday were for 79 of 121 constituencies, including all but two in the capital Windhoek. Of the nearly 1.5 million registered voters, 73 percent had cast ballots, the commission said.

The South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) has governed Namibia since leading it to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990, but high youth unemployment and enduring inequalities have disenchanted younger voters.