Opposition members were fuming. The RP and CoD were to hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon (after this paper’s deadline). But a recount of Namibia’s parliamentary elections ended on Wednesday with officials confirming the original results of the November polls, which handed victory to the ruling Swapo party by margin of slightly more than 75 per cent.

A court had ordered the recount of the mid-November poll after the RP and CoD had complained of widespread irregularities, which had not been erased through the re-count..

The chairperson of the Electoral Commission (ECN), Victor Tonchi said: "There were a number of problems and maybe some errors, but ... we are not perfect."

The only substantial difference was some 1 000 extra votes won by the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), which has three seats in parliament. this was not enough to make a difference in the party’s represen-tation.

Opposition parties, among them the Republican Party and the Namibian Democratic Movement for Change, said they did not accept the results. RP-leader Henk Mudge was quoted as saying: "We do not accept the results and we will take further action!"

Under the court order, the recount had to be completed by Sunday, just one day ahead of the March 21 inauguration of President-elect Hifikepunye Pohamba, who will take over from veteran leader Sam Nujoma.

Nujoma’s South West Africa People’s Organisation won its third victory since Namibia’s independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.

The Celebrations of 15 years of Independence are somewhat over-clouded by uncertainties about when exactly a new Cabinet will be announced by the new President Hifikepunye Pohamba, who is only inaugurated on Monday. It is his prerogative to name Cabinet Ministers.