Nearly 50% of Namibians would accept one-party state: survey

NAMIBIANS are increasingly willing to support a single party regime, according to a public attitude study conducted in 15 African countries.

The findings of the Afrobarometer survey indicate that Namibia is one of Africas most stable and enduring multi-party democracies, but that some 46 per cent of Namibians interviewed say they would accept a one-party state. The past three surveys have indicated that a growing number of Namibians do not appear to have an unconditional preference for democracies.The results of the survey, released on Friday, show that Namibians have become more negative about the quality of democracy in the country.In 2003, only a slight majority (54%) said that democracy was always best.During the same period, support for non-democratic alternatives had increased notes the study conducted by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID).The Afrobarometer is an independent, non-partisan research project that measures the social, political and economic atmosphere in Africa.Afrobarometer surveys are repeated regularly with a standard set of questions to systematically compare countries.Since 1999, Namibia has conducted three Afrobarometer surveys – in 1999, 2002 and 2003.Each survey contains data based on 1 200 interviews with Namibians of voting age.The study notes that Namibians appear to have become more negative about the quality of democracy in the country:the number of people who view the country as a “democracy with major problems” is up from 15 per cent in 1999 to close to 30 per cent this time round.Around 80 per cent of Namibians are either very or fairly satisfied with the way democracy is working.Demands for democracy appear to be low, meaning that the future of democracy is not in the hands of the Namibian people but rather that of various political elites.Trust in the State has declined significantly since 1999, with the most trusted agencies being the president, the courts, the army and the police.However respondents indicated that their trust in opposition parties, the electoral commission, the local authority councils and the National Assembly MPs was low.The data suggests that the gap between representatives and ordinary Namibians is wide.More than three in 10 Namibians believe elected leaders never look after their interests and almost one in two feels those elected leaders do not listen to ordinary people.From the survey it has emerged that Namibians have a fairly realistic view of Governments ability to solve existing problems.Since 1999, Namibians have identified the same four problems as most important to them unemployment, HIV-AIDS, education and water.The past three surveys have indicated that a growing number of Namibians do not appear to have an unconditional preference for democracies.The results of the survey, released on Friday, show that Namibians have become more negative about the quality of democracy in the country.In 2003, only a slight majority (54%) said that democracy was always best.During the same period, support for non-democratic alternatives had increased notes the study conducted by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID).The Afrobarometer is an independent, non-partisan research project that measures the social, political and economic atmosphere in Africa.Afrobarometer surveys are repeated regularly with a standard set of questions to systematically compare countries.Since 1999, Namibia has conducted three Afrobarometer surveys – in 1999, 2002 and 2003.Each survey contains data based on 1 200 interviews with Namibians of voting age.The study notes that Namibians appear to have become more negative about the quality of democracy in the country:the number of people who view the country as a “democracy with major problems” is up from 15 per cent in 1999 to close to 30 per cent this time round.Around 80 per cent of Namibians are either very or fairly satisfied with the way democracy is working.Demands for democracy appear to be low, meaning that the future of democracy is not in the hands of the Namibian people but rather that of various political elites.Trust in the State has declined significantly since 1999, with the most trusted agencies being the president, the courts, the army and the police.However respondents indicated that their trust in opposition parties, the electoral commission, the local authority councils and the National Assembly MPs was low.The data suggests that the gap between representatives and ordinary Namibians is wide.More than three in 10 Namibians believe elected leaders never look after their interests and almost one in two feels those elected leaders do not listen to ordinary people.From the survey it has emerged that Namibians have a fairly realistic view of Governments ability to solve existing problems.Since 1999, Namibians have identified the same four problems as most important to them unemployment, HIV-AIDS, education and water.