2015 Namibian local and regional elections

Namibia held elections for their local and regional councils on 27 November 2015.[1] Ballots were cast using electronic voting.[2]

Electoral system

Elections to regional councils are held using the first-past-the-post electoral system. Voters in each constituency elect one councillor to represent them on their regional council. Local authority councillors are elected by a system of proportional representation.[3]

Results

Regional and local elections taken together elected 199 women out of the 499 available seats,[4] partly because affirmative action for women is required by law in local authority elections.[3]

Regional elections

There were 121 constituency councillors to be elected. Each of them represented their constituency in the respective regional council.[3] The regional councils in turn selected 3 representatives each to serve in the National Council.

In twenty-eight constituencies SWAPO was announced as winner in October because no opposition party nominated a candidate.[1][5]

Party	Seats	Change
South West Africa People's Organization	112
National Unity Democratic Organisation	4
Popular Democratic Movement	2
United Democratic Front	1
United People's Movement	1
Independent politicians	1
Total	121

Local election

Local elections determine the population of the village, town, and city councils and have a direct influence on who will become mayor, as this position is elected among all councillors. Contrary to the regional elections, local elections in Namibia are determined by party, not by individual. There are 57 local authorities to be elected. In five of them (Okahao, Omuthiyagwiipundi, Oniipa, Outapi and Tsandi) SWAPO was announced as winner in October because no opposition party nominated a candidate.[1][6]

Party	Seats	Change
South West Africa People's Organization	277
Popular Democratic Movement	41
United Democratic Front	21
Rally for Democracy and Progress	16
National Unity Democratic Organisation	11
All People's Party	4
United People's Movement	3
Civic Association of Henties Bay	1
Karibib Ratepayers Association	1
Swakopmund Residents Association	1
Congress of Democrats	1
Rundu Concerned Citizens Association	1
Total	378

References

1. Kangootui, Nomhle (23 October 2015). "Swapo gets ǃNamiǂNûs uncontested". The Namibian. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015.
2. Iikela, Sakeus (23 September 2020). "ECN undecided on discarded EVMs". The Namibian. p. 1.
3. "Government Elections: National, Regional, Local" (PDF). www.lac.org.na. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
4. "Female Political Participation in Sub-Saharan Africa" (PDF). University of Stellenbosch. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
5. "Publication of results and particulars in respect of general elections for Regional Councils: Electoral Act, 2014" (pdf). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 5916. Government of Namibia. 31 December 2015. pp. 21–36.
6. "Publication of results and particulars in respect of general elections for Local Authority Councils: Electoral Act, 2014" (pdf). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. No. 5916. Government of Namibia. 31 December 2015. pp. 1–20.