Pre-Crisis Phase (March 21, 1990-present): Namibia formally achieved its independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990. Sam Nujoma of the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) was sworn in as president on March 21, 1990. Hage Geingob of SWAPO served as prime minister from March 21, 1990 to August 22, 2002. Legislative elections were held on December 4-5, 1994, and the SWAPO won 53 out of 72 seats in the National Assembly. The Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA) won 15 seats in the National Assembly. President Sam Nujoma was re-elected with 76 percent of the vote on December 4-5, 1994. Local elections were held on February 17, 1998, and the SWAPO won a majority of the seats in 27 out of 45 local councils. On November 4, 1998, the National Assembly voted 50 to 15 to amendment the constitution to permit President Sam Nujoma to run for a third term. Legislative elections were held on November 30 and December 1, 1999, and the SWAPO won 55 out of 78 seats in the National Assembly. The Congress of Democrats (CD) and the DTA each won seven seats in the National Assembly. President Sam Nujoma was re-elected with 77 percent of the vote on November 30 and December 1, 1999. The European Union (EU) sent 34 short-term observers led by Eeva Kuuskoski of Finland to monitor the legislative and presidential elections from November 24 to December 4, 1999. The Parliamentary Forum of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) sent twelve observers from eleven countries to monitor the legislative and presidential elections from November 25 to December 4, 1999. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) sent short-term observers led by Ambassador Ahmed Hassan Diria of Tanzania to monitor the legislative and presidential elections. Three individuals were killed in an attack on the Namibian village of Shinyungwe near the Angolan border on February 17, 2000. Sam Nujoma was sworn in for a third term as president on March 21, 2000. The attack was blamed on UNITA rebels from Angola. Theo-Ben Gurirab of the SWAPO served as prime minister from August 27, 2002 to March 19, 2005. Legislative elections were held on November 15-16, 2004, and the SWAPO won 55 out of 78 seats in the National Assembly. The CD won five seats in the National Assembly. Hifikepunye Pohamba of the SWAPO was elected president with 76 percent of the vote on November 15-16, 2004. The SADC Parliamentary Forum sent 38 short-term observers led by Roberto de Almeida of Angola to monitor the legislative and presidential elections from November 6 to November 17, 2004. The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) sent 30 short-term observers from nine countries led by Dr. Gloria Somolekae of Botswana to monitor the legislative and presidential elections from November 8 to November 18, 2004. Nahas Gideon Angula of the SWAPO served as prime minister from March 21, 2005 to December 4, 2012. Legislative elections were held on November 27-28, 2009, and the SWAPO won 54 out of 72 seats in the National Assembly. The Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) won eight seats in the National Assembly. President Hifikepunye Pohamba was re-elected with 75 percent of the vote on November 27-28, 2009. The African Union (AU) sent 24 short-term observers led by Lewis M. Makame of Tanzania to monitor the legislative and presidential elections from November 24 to December 1, 2009. The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) sent 17 observers led by by Ambrose Dery of Ghana to monitor the legislative and presidential elections. The SADC sent 120 short-term observers led by Francisco Madeira of Mozambique to monitor the legislative and presidential elections from November 18 to December 1, 2009. The SADC Parliamentary Forum sent 40 short-term observers to monitor the legislative and presidential elections. President Pohamba appointed Hage Geingob of the SWAPO as prime minister on December 4, 2012. Legislative elections were held on November 28, 2014, and the SWAPO won 77 out of 96 seats in the National Assembly. The DTA won five seats in the National Assembly. Hage Geingob of the SWAPO was elected president with 87 percent of the vote on November 28, 2014. The AU sent 45 short-term observers from 18 countries to monitor the legislative elections from November 18 to November 30, 2014. The SADC sent 98 short-term observers led by Maite Nkoana-Mashabane of South Africa to monitor the legislative elections. The SADC Electoral Commissions Forum (ECF) sent 44 short-term observers from 12 countries to monitor the legislative elections from November 19 to December 3, 2014.
[Sources: African Union (AU), December 1, 2009, November 30, 2014; Agence France Presse (AFP), December 4, 2009; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), February 18, 1998, September 7, 1998, November 4, 1998, December 3, 1998, December 1, 1999, December 2, 1999, December 3, 1999, December 5, 1999, February 17, 2000, March 13, 2000, March 21, 2000, November 26, 2001, February 20, 2003, November 21, 2004, December 4, 2009, November 28, 2014, December 1, 2014; New York Times, March 21, 1990, December 11, 1994, December 1, 1999, November 27, 2001, November 29, 2009, December 8, 2009; Reuters, December 4, 2012, November 27, 2014, December 1, 2014; Southern African Development Community (SADC), November 30, 2014; Xinhua News Agency (XNA), December 6, 2009, November 30, 2014.]