STOP PRESS: Election challenge thrown out

A HARD-FOUGHT challenge to Namibia’s presidential and National Assembly elections of November 27 and 28 was thrown out by the High Court in Windhoek this afternoon.

The challenge by nine political parties that emerged as the losers in the elections failed on technical grounds.Judge President Petrus Damaseb and Judge Collins Parker agreed that the parties’ election application against both the presidential and the National Assembly election had to be struck from the court roll because both applications were filed late in terms of the court rules and the Electoral Act.The court ordered that the parties had to bear the legal costs of the Electoral Commission of Namibia and Swapo.As on Monday and Tuesday, when Judge President Damaseb and Judge Parker heard arguments on the nine opposition parties’ application to have the elections annulled or get a recount of votes that were cast in the polls, the public gallery of Court B was filled to capacity when the court announced its decision at about 14h50.Swapo supporters in the public gallery, most of them clothed in party colours, erupted in applause, ululation and then a Swapo Party song after the court had announced its decision and adjourned.* Get the full report in The Namibian tomorrow.