Namibia Ruling Party Retains Power in Worst Election Showing
- Southwest African nation appoints its first female leader
- Country is on the verge of becoming major oil and gas producer
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Namibia’s ruling party held onto power despite its worst-ever electoral showing as its candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah became the first woman to win the presidency in the sparsely populated southwest African nation.
The South West African Peoples Organisation secured 51 of the 96 elected seats in parliament after winning 53.4% of the 1.1 million votes cast last week, while the Independent Patriots garnered 20.2% backing and 20 seats, final results released by the electoral commission late Tuesday showed. A further eight seats will be allocated by the president.