WINDHOEK: Several political parties in Namibia rushed on Tuesday to submit their lists of candidates for the upcoming National Assembly election to the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) ahead of the Wednesday deadline. The deadline, set for 16 October 2024, is crucial for parties aiming to participate in the Parliamentary and National Assembly elections scheduled for 27 November 2024. Among the early submitters were the ruling Swapo Party and the Independent Patriots for Change, which have been active since the nomination period opened on 26 September 2024. According to Namibia News Digest, the Electoral Commission has been receiving candidate lists from various parties since the start of the nomination period. Swapo's deputy secretary-general, Uahekua Herunga, confirmed their prompt submission, stating, "We have done that on the very first day." Other parties, including Swanu of Namibia and the Republican Party, were also finalizing their submissions at the ECN offices in Windhoek. Issy Tjihoreko of Swa nu, which holds one seat in the current National Assembly, emphasized the careful selection of their candidates, "We only put people that have confidence in the party. And we are sure that we are going to make it." The Republican Party, represented by secretary-general Mathias Mbundu, highlighted the youthful and gender-inclusive nature of their candidate list. "The composition of our list has most of the people there as the youth, and 52 percent are women," Mbundu noted, adding that their campaign strategy would focus on door-to-door engagement. The United People's Movement, with two seats from the 2019 elections, is also optimistic about its diverse list, which includes a significant number of young politicians and over sixty percent female candidates, as shared by vice president Jan Johannes Van Wyk. Newcomers to the general elections, the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement, have already made their submission after selecting their parliamentary candidates over the weekend in Otjiwarongo. AR co-found er and parliamentary candidate George Kambala expressed pride in their predominantly young and diverse candidate list. Meanwhile, the Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters, recently re-registered following a court challenge, submitted a robust list of 96 parliamentary candidates last Friday, as confirmed by party leader Epafras Mukwiilongo.