Namibia’s eighth presidential and National Assembly elections kicked off today, with 15 presidential candidates and 21 political parties vying for leadership. According to the Electoral Commission of Namibia, nearly 1.45 million eligible voters are registered either domestically or at Namibian diplomatic missions abroad.

Among the prominent presidential candidates are Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), Bernadus Swartbooi of the Landless People’s Movement, and Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change.

SWAPO has been Namibia’s ruling party since the nation gained independence in 1990. In the 2019 elections, President Hage Geingob led SWAPO to victory, securing over 56 per cent of the National Assembly vote.