Namibian results could be delayed

Windhoek - Announcements of election results held in Namibia on Friday are expected to be delayed due to slow voting.

Long queues of eager voters were still standing in queues waiting to cast their vote as polls closed on Friday night.

The chief electoral officer of the electoral commission Paul Isaak on Friday night urged voters to remain in their queues until it was their turn to vote.

"The election law is clear. Voters who are in a queue by 21:00 when polls close may not be denied their right to vote and polling officials must attend to them even if fatigue sets in."

Isaak said: "There are long queues everywhere in the country. The handheld voter verification device to verify the biometrical fingerprint of voters has contributed to the slow voting process.

"Officials turned to paper verification of voters which delayed voting," Isaak added.

First election results were expected later on Saturday.