SWAPO Party candidate, Marlay Sharlay Mbakera won the Otjiwarongo by-election that took place on Monday.The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN)’s returning officer for the by-election, Jafet Karamata, announced Mbakera as duly elected and new constituency councillor of Otjiwarongo at the Swanevelder Community Hall in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Karamata said the 44-year-old Mbakera won with 2 910 votes, followed by the independent candidate Erastus Mbumba who got 1 020, and the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) candidate, Sebeteus Guiteb in third position with 752 votes. Karamata said a total of 4 707 votes by ballot paper were cast in the entire by-election of which 25 votes were found to have been spoiled.
The voting exercise in the Otjiwarongo by-election started on Monday at 07h00 and ended at 21h00.
The counting of votes then followed after the closure of all polling stations, before the final results were verified and announced at the Swanevelder hall.
Approximately 22 000 eligible voters were registered for the by-election for councillor of the Otjiwarongo constituency, which was necessitated by the death of Julius Neumbo in a road accident on 10 December 2019 between Otjiwarongo and Okahandja.
– Nampa
