Poll results query postponed

2009-12-18 13:38

Windhoek - A Namibian court on Friday postponed an application by nine opposition parties contesting last month's general election results which gave President Hifikepunye Pohamba's party a landslide victory.

"I postpone the court hearing until next Tuesday after having listened to the lawyer of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) who asked for more time to prepare their court papers," Judge Collins Parker ruled on Friday.

Lawyers of nine opposition parties launched an application in the high court on Wednesday calling for an audit of the election results.

A total of 13 opposition parties contested the legislative and presidential elections on November 27 and 28.

"Should the high court grant us the application, the audit will include the recount of ballot papers, rejected ballots, reconciling cast votes with counterfoils and auditing other election materials like the voter's roll," Libolly Haufiku of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) and spokesperson for the nine parties, said.

The ruling South West Africa People's Organisation (Swapo), in power since independence in 1990, won more than 75% of the votes.

The election was declared by African observers as free and fair. Official results were announced six days after the vote.

- SAPA