Namibia's top court dismisses opposition election challenge

By Nyasha Nyaungwa

WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Namibia's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a challenge against last year's presidential election brought by opposition parties, clearing the way for the ruling party's Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to take office next month.

The Southern African country's SWAPO party, which has governed the nation of around 3 million people for more than three decades, won both the presidential and parliamentary elections in November.

Opposition parties alleged the election was flawed and potentially invalid due to an extension of voting for several days, among other issues.

Namibia's Chief Justice Peter Shivute ruled that the decision to extend voting was lawful and dismissed the challenge brought by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which came second in the polls.

In its case, the IPC was joined by another opposition party, the Landless People's Movement.

"Their challenge to the outcome for the 2024 presidential election ... fails," Shivute said.

The IPC's leader and presidential candidate last year, Panduleni Itula, said his party would abide by the judgment.

"We are not going to the streets to demonstrate or anything like that," Itula said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah will be sworn-in as Namibia's first female president on March 21.

(Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning)

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