Windhoek - A second day of voting began Saturday in Namibia's joint presidential and parliamentary elections, which observers say are likely to see victory for the incumbent South West African People's Organization (SWAPO). Just under one million Namibians are eligible to vote in the polls, with a result expected on December 4.
The elections are the south-west African nation's fifth democratic presidential and parliamentary elections and the fourth since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
Polling booths were finally due to close at 9 pm (1900).
A total of 14 parties are contesting the election to the 78-seat National Assembly, which has been dominated since independence by SWAPO.
SWAPO, which fought a 22-year guerrilla war against apartheid South Africa ending in 1988, a year before the country's first democratic polls, won 55 Assembly seats in the last election five years ago.
The party is expected to easily win re-election over a fragmented opposition, but with a reduced majority.
Incumbent president and SWAPO leader Hifikepunye Pohamba, who succeeded founding president Sam Nujoma in 2004, is also expected to easily win a second term over his 11 rivals.
Some 961,000 Namibians are registered to vote.
The emergence of opposition to the hegemonic SWAPO from within its own ranks is the defining feature of this election.
Popular former foreign minister Hidipo Hamutenya broke away from SWAPO in 2007 in protest over what he called the party's "autocratic" leadership style and formed his own Rally for Democracy and Progress.
Namibia is a stable, but extremely poor country, that lives off mining, fishing, agriculture and tourism.
Some 28 per cent of Namibians live on less than 2 Namibian dollars (around 30 US cents) a day and six out of 10 young people are estimated to be unemployed.
The elections are the south-west African nation's fifth democratic presidential and parliamentary elections and the fourth since independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
Polling booths were finally due to close at 9 pm (1900).
A total of 14 parties are contesting the election to the 78-seat National Assembly, which has been dominated since independence by SWAPO.
SWAPO, which fought a 22-year guerrilla war against apartheid South Africa ending in 1988, a year before the country's first democratic polls, won 55 Assembly seats in the last election five years ago.
The party is expected to easily win re-election over a fragmented opposition, but with a reduced majority.
Incumbent president and SWAPO leader Hifikepunye Pohamba, who succeeded founding president Sam Nujoma in 2004, is also expected to easily win a second term over his 11 rivals.
Some 961,000 Namibians are registered to vote.
The emergence of opposition to the hegemonic SWAPO from within its own ranks is the defining feature of this election.
Popular former foreign minister Hidipo Hamutenya broke away from SWAPO in 2007 in protest over what he called the party's "autocratic" leadership style and formed his own Rally for Democracy and Progress.
Namibia is a stable, but extremely poor country, that lives off mining, fishing, agriculture and tourism.
Some 28 per cent of Namibians live on less than 2 Namibian dollars (around 30 US cents) a day and six out of 10 young people are estimated to be unemployed.
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