Crystal Orderson: SABC Namibia 

Namibia’s election commission has promised members of the public that final results will be announced by tomorrow as the first results from hat country’s presidential and parliamentary elections are trickling-in slowly. The delay is causing widespread anger amongst opposition parties, threatening legal action.

Early results showed that the ruling SWAPO is in first place with the National Unity Democratic Organisation of Namibia second and Rally for Democracy Party in third place. 

Namibians have been waiting anxiously to hear who will lead their country for the next five years. It has been 48 hours since polls closed and by late afternoon but only four of the 107 constituencies have announced their results. In the midst of all this, the country's election commission has called for calm and patience. 

But opposition parties are crying foul, saying few changes brought up by the electoral commission are upsetting them. Meanwhile, the largest observer group from the Southern African Development Community says the election was free, transparent, fair and credible. Opposition parties have questioned this pronouncement, given that a final result has not been made public yet.

Of some 27 000 votes, SWAPO claimed 61% and the RDP 20%, The Namibian newspaper reported. Out of 13 000 unofficial presidential votes, President Hifikepunye Pohamba led with 53%, with RDP's Hidipo Hamutenya taking 29%.

Lying between economic powerhouse South Africa and oil-producing Angola, Namibia has enjoyed a long period of political and economic prosperity that has made its 2.2 million people the envy of many in Africa.

But unemployment and the lack of improvement in health, education and sanitation services dominated the election campaigns, with poverty and lack of jobs aggravated by the global economic downturn.

The economy in Namibia, a diamond producer and home to 10% of the world's uranium output, is expected to contract by 0.6% in 2009, before recovering in 2010 on higher commodity prices and a rise in mining output. Fourteen parties were contesting the election and 12 presidential candidates were listed.