Political and Administrative System

Country Info
 Namibia
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Basic Social and Demographic Data

Political System
Government Type :
Republic
Legal System:
Based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution
Political Independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
How many levels of government are there currently and what are they? 3 - National, Regional, Local (Towns/ Villages)
Administrative Division
(as of 1999):		 13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene, Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa
Number of Administrative Regions: 13 in 1998

Legal Framework
Constitution:

Adoption (date): (161)
21 March 1990
Comment (161):
21 March, 1990, but amended 1999
**
The 1990 constitution is the linchpin of Namibia's multiparty democratic system, and SWAPO has observed its provisions with one main exception. The president and the 72-seat National Assembly are elected by universal adult suffrage every five years. A part-proportional closed party-list system is used for the parliamentary poll. A presidential candidate must obtain at least 50% of the vote, and the constitution used to specify that a president could only serve two successive five-year terms.
The 26-member National Council (upper house of parliament) consists of two councillors nominated by each of Namibia's 13 regional authorities, for which elections are held every five years on a constituency basis. The main safeguard against autocracy lies in the entrenched clauses of the constitution guaranteeing fundamental human rights, including freedom of association and expression, an uncensored press, and the proscription of arbitrary arrest, detention without trial and the death penalty. The right of individual property ownership and payment of just compensation for any expropriation by the state are equally enshrined. However, the right of detainees to be produced in court within a specified time frame, as well as other civil rights, are suspended under a state of emergency, which the president can decree without reference to parliament.
What institutions, ministries, agencies, and other bodies are defined by the constitution as making up the following branches of central or national government? (162)

Legislative: (163A)

National Assembly and National Council
see articles 44,56 68,74 and 75 of the Constitution
**
bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats; two 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 last held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held by December 2004); National Assembly last held 7-8 December 1994 (next to be held NA December 1999)
election results: National Council percent of vote by party NA; seats by party NA; National Assembly percent of vote by party SWAPO 73.89%, DTA 20.78%, UDF 2.72%, DCN 0.83%, MAG 0.82%; seats by party SWAPO 53, DTA 15, UDF 2, MAG 1, DCN 1
note: the National Council is a purely advisory body

Executive: (163B)

Cabinet
see chapters 5 and 6 of the constitution
**
chief of state: President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990); note—the president is both the chief of state and head of government
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; election last held 7-8 December 1994 (next to be held NA December 1999) election results: Sam NUJOMA elected president; percent of vote 76%

Judicial: (163C)

Supreme court, High court and Magistrate's court
see articles 78,85,86,87 and 88 of the Constitution
**
Supreme Court, judges appointed by the president
What legislation defines and governs the national public service? When was it last modified? (164) Public Service Act, 1980 - PSA (1995) no revisions only new regulation
What regulations and/or guidelines govern the national public service? When was it last modified? (165) Treasury Rules
PS rules
What collective agreements are binding on the national public service? When were they last negotiated? Which parties were involved? (166)

NAPWU - union agreement

Government Organizations
1998
1993
1988
 Source
Number of ministries and independent statutory agencies
23
UNDESA
Central government organigram (by UNDESA):

Political History

GThe South West Africa Peoples' Organisation (SWAPO) formed the first internationally recognised Namibian government after winning the UN- supervised pre-independence election in November 1989, and was re-elected in the parliamentary election in 1994, when it gained a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly (lower house). The SWAPO leader, Sam Nujoma, who had been appointed head of state by the first parliament, was directly elected in the simultaneous presidential poll. Although the Namibian constitution stipulated that no individual could hold the presidency for more than two consecutive five-year terms, in 1998 SWAPO used its two-thirds majority in the lower house to pass a constitutional amendment allowing Mr Nujoma to stand for a third term in the next election, which is due to be held by the end of 1999.

 

Corruption Perception
Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has assumed a central place in debates about corruption. It is used by economists, academics, business people and journalists. The growing importance of the CPI has stimulated interest in the methods used to compile it each year. This document, complementing the publication of the 1999 CPI and the press materials published with it, provides an in-depth explanation of the methodology.

The goal of the CPI is to provide data on extensive perceptions of corruption within countries. This is a means of enhancing understanding of levels of corruption from one country to another. It does not attempt to assess the degree of corruption practiced by nationals outside their own countries. This is a separate phenomenon and a separate instrument, the Bribe Payers Propensity Index (BPI), is published this year for the first time.