WINDHOEK (AFP) - With some delays due to a computer glitch, voting got under way in Namibia to elect a successor to President Sam Nujoma, who has ruled the vast southern African country since independence 14 years ago.
Nujoma's hand-picked successor, Lands Minister Hifikepunye Pohamba, 69, is headed for victory in the presidential election while the ruling South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) party is virtually assured a strong majority in parliament.
Voting was delayed by a few hours as some 300 polling stations, mainly around Windhoek, experienced problems with a new computerised voting system, with long queues forming as voters waited patiently to cast their votes.
Smiling broadly, Nujoma was the first to cast his ballot at a polling station off Independence Avenue in the centre of Windhoek just after voting got under way at 7:00 am (0500 GMT).
"I'm calling on all Namibian citizens to line up in peace and exercise their democratic rights to ensure that we continue with peace, stability and economic development," Nujoma told reporters outside the voting station.
This was "irrespective of colour and status in society," said Nujoma.
Over the next two days, voters will choose a president and representatives to the 72-seat National Assembly in the country of 1.82 million people.
Just over 977,000 voters are to choose between seven presidential candidates and nine political parties at some 1,168 polling stations around the country.
Nujoma and Pohamba are founding members of SWAPO which led an armed struggle against apartheid South African rule for more than three decades.
Namibia, formerly called South West Africa, won independence in 1990 and Nujoma became its first president.
The elections, the third since independence, are seen as a milestone with the departure of Nujoma, who has been a pivotal figure in Namibian politics for five decades, although he will retain the powerful post of SWAPO party president until 2007.
In Katutura township north of Windhoek, voters stood in long queues as officials battled to sort out the technical glitch with the new computerised voting system.
But Electoral Commision chairman Victor Tonchi said officials quickly sorted out the problem, which happened when officials did not have the correct password to access the voters' roll.
"Generally we are satisfied so far," he told reporters at a press conference late Monday.
Other problems included thundershowers over Namibia, and three voters were hit by lightning at a polling station some 600 kilometres (375 miles) north of the capital, but were reported to be in a stable condition.
Opposition parties said despite computer problems and long queues, there were no major complaints.
"There are queues, queues all around. It's going slowly but at least it's started," Congress of Democrats (CoD) leader Ben Ulenga told AFP.
"We are adopting a wait-and-see approach as the process unfolds, but we are hoping the elections will be free and fair," added the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) spokesman Albert Kandjii.
Namibia's weak opposition parties are not expecting any upsets but they are hoping to strengthen their representation in the National Assembly with the current official opposition DTA and newcomer CoD vying for the title of official opposition grouping.
Outside a polling station in Katutura, 58-year-old Margaret Majunda, wearing a leopard-print dress and pointy Herero headdress, waited to cast her vote.
"I don't feel good because Nujoma is leaving. This man has been governing the country for a considerable time," she told AFP.
"This man (Pohamba) is a new man. I don't know how he is going to do," she said.
Regarded by some critics as a stooge of Nujoma, Pohamba has pledged to continue governing the country in the same way as his predecessor.
Results are expected to be announced later in the week.
11/15/2004 - 18:08 GMT - AFP