The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) has declared SWAPO party’s Marlayn Mbakera winner of Otjiwarongo Constituency by-election. Mbakera received 2 910 of the 4 707 votes cast in the by-election. Independent candidate Erastus Mbumba came in second place with 1 020 votes. The Landless People’s Movement (LPM) candidate Sebedeus Guiteb received 752 votes and 25 ballots were rejected. ECN’s Returning Officer for the constituency says more senior citizens have voted in the by-election. Returning Officer Jafet Karamata says the commission did not experience any challenges in conducting the polls. Karamata says counting of results initially took place at the different polling stations, and the final results were announced after 02h00 this morning, at the Swanevelder Hall in Otjiwarongo. Collation of results was disrupted briefly by protest from the Landless People’s Movement (LPM). LPM leader Bernadus Swartbooi and a few supporters entered the collation centre and started protesting alleged corruption, including a fishing industry scandal known as the Fishrot. Otjiwarongo Constituency has 21 836 registered voters.