Namibia - Leadership

In choosing his cabinet, President-elect Nujoma continued his conciliatory theme by naming opposition members to cabinet positions. On 21 March 1990, Namibia became independent, and Sam Nujoma became its first president, sworn into office by UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuellar. Many observers viewed the process of reconciliation that took place in Namibia as a precursor to the ultimate end of apartheid in South Africa.

Nujoma and his SWAPO won a second term of office in the 7–8 December 1994 elections, taking 76% of the vote and 53 of the 72 seats in the National Assembly. Mushake Muyongo got 23% of the vote, and his Democratic Turnhall Alliance (DTA) was second with 15 parliamentary seats. Three other parties shared the remaining two seats.

The SWAPO government was considered a shining role model of an emerging democracy. As the second term wore on, however, SWAPO consolidated its monopoly on power to the extent that the opposition became nonexistent in influencing decisions. Government priorities began to change. In a country with a poor black majority, members of Parliament rushed through a bill prior to the 1999 elections giving themselves huge retirement packages whether they leave office or not. Allegations of corruption (still not as bad as in many African countries) and human rights abuses, especially in the Caprivi region, started surfacing.

Abuse of such a monopoly on power as SWAPO holds was demonstrated in November 1998, when Nujoma himself supported constitutional amendments proposed by his party allowing him to seek a third term. Seen by many as backtracking into dictatorial footsteps, and as "a torpedoing of democracy," but defended by SWAPO as a reflection of "the way that people perceived SWAPO," and "a result of democracy in action," the move sparked both local and international criticism. Resigning his position as Namibia's High Commissioner to Great Britain in protest over this eventuality, opposition candidate Ben Ulenga was quoted as saying, "I have…reached the firm conviction that the proposal to increase the presidential terms for the present incumbent would be to the total detriment of the country, the SWAPO party, and the cumulative process of political democratization and good governance in the country."

With its backbone support in the densely populated north, Nujoma's home area, as well as the majority of his fellow senior ministers, SWAPO went on to win three-quarters (55) of the 72 parliamentary seats and Nujoma got 77% of the vote in the elections held on 30 November and 1 December 1999. Ben Ulenga of the Congress of Democrats got the highest opposition vote (10.5%); but his party was tied with the DTA for number of parliamentary seats (seven each). The elections were declared substantially free and fair.

In a surprising announcement to his party in November 2001, Nujoma stated that he will step down for the 2004 elections, rather than push for a constitutional amendment that would allow him a fourth term in office. The septuagenarian president said he wants to leave the office open for new, younger candidates. Analysts, however, speculate that, if he does intend to step down from the presidency, he will still stand for reelection as the SWAPO party president, which will keep him in control of the majority party.