Displaying items by tag: disputed result

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, has been elected Namibia's president, becoming the country’s first female leader. She secured 57% of the vote, avoiding a predicted run-off. Declaring her win as a mandate for ‘peace and stability’, Nandi-Ndaitwah continues her SWAPO party's 34-year dominance since the country's independence. However, opposition parties have disputed the results, citing technical issues such as ballot shortages and extensions of voting periods. Long queues left some voters waiting up to twelve hours, and critics claim that these  problems violated election laws. The main opposition candidate, Panduleni Itula, who trailed with 25.5%, described the election as ‘neither free nor fair’. Nandi-Ndaitwah's political journey began in the 1970s independence movement, followed by a 1990 parliamentary debut and several ministerial roles. Despite SWAPO’s legacy, growing youth discontent highlights challenges ahead as Namibia grapples with unemployment and inequality.

The announcement on 17 January that Azali Assoumani had been re-elected president of the Comoros resulted in numerous protests and clashes. Demonstrators in the capital, Moroni, vandalised a former minister's house and blocked roads during the day, leading to confrontations with police who used tear gas and made arrests. In the evening, the government imposed a night curfew, citing ‘public necessity’. Officials announced that Assoumani had won 62.97% of the vote, but opposition leaders alleged fraud, including ballot-stuffing and inconsistent results, and jointly demanded the annulment of the result. The UN called for restraint amid mounting post-election tensions and urged the authorities to ensure a safe environment for peaceful assembly and expression of views. The Comoros, a politically volatile three-island chain with a history of coups, experienced a surprisingly low voter turnout of 16%, and discrepancies in vote counts raised concerns about the election's regularity.

The USA, Japan, and the European Union have expressed their willingness to collaborate with Madagascar's re-elected president Andry Rajoelina, provided he ensures electoral reforms in the country. The country has a history of election crises; the most notable one, in 2009, ended in a coup that installed Rajoelina as president and led to violence between demonstrators and security forces. He has now been re-elected for a third term, with 59% of the vote, but there were numerous claims of irregularities and vote rigging, and ten of the candidates boycotted the election, leading to a low voter turnout. Rajoelina is being urged to implement electoral reforms that will foster transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in the electoral process - reforms which are crucial for restoring international confidence. Madagascar has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, reaching 75% in 2022. Before the elections, there were fears that social difficulties and the economy, battered by climate change and politics, would get worse if the outcome didn't reflect the will of the people.