Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Nahas ANGULA (since 21 March 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 15 November 2004
(next to be held November 2009)
election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of
vote - Hifikepunye POHAMBA 76.4%, Den ULENGA 7.3%, Katuutire KAURA
5.1%, Kuaima RIRUAKO 4.2%, Justus GAROEB 3.8%, other 3.2%
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; 2
members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year
terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - elections for regional councils, to
determine members of the National Council, held 29-30 November 2004
(next to be held November 2010); National Assembly - last held 15-16
November 2004 (next to be held November 2009)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party -
SWAPO 89.7%, UDF 4.7%, NUDO 2.8%, DTA 1.9%; seats by party - SWAPO
24, UDF 1, DTA 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
SWAPO 76.1%, COD 7.3%, DTA 5.1%, NUDO 4.2%, UDF 3.6%, RP 1.9%, MAG
0.8%, other 1.0%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4, NUDO 3,
UDF 3, RP 1, MAG 1
note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)
Political parties and leaders:
Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle
Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA, president]; Monitor
Action Group or MAG [Jurie VILJOEN]; National Democratic Movement
for Change or NamDMC; National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO
[Kuaima RIRUAKO]; Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE]; South West
Africa National Union or SWANU [Rihupisa KANDANDO]; South West
Africa People's Organization or SWAPO [Sam Shafishuna NUJOMA];
United Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick NANDAGO chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joyce BARR embassy: Ausplan Building, 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek telephone: [264] (61) 221601 FAX: [264] (61) 229792
Flag description:
a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left
section and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right
section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe that is
contrasted by two narrow white-edge borders