Namibia deserves applause for maintaining and strengthening democracy after only 34 years of independence.

The Secretary General of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, says Namibia achieved this feat against the backdrop of a deteriorating state of democracy across the globe.

Dr. Casas-Zamora said this during a lecture he held on the "Global State of Democracy" in Windhoek.

The lecture was part of his three-day visit to Namibia, during which he was hosted by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). The lecture drew widespread interest from political parties, civil society, and members of the public.

Dr. Casas-Zamora noted that democracy is threatened in many parts of the world.

The ability to hold credible elections is under immense challenges around the world, such as the unconstitutional changes of government and military coup attempts, coupled with corruption and inequalities.

Therefore, Namibia is on the right path. 

"Namibian society deserves a pat on the back for being able to achieve what has been achieved for the past 30 years plus in terms of democracy. Namibia is one of the good cases amidst a gloomy landscape. How does Namibia fare in all of this? It fares very well."

However, Dr. Casas-Zomora says the credibility of electoral institutions and the integrity of elections need to be protected. 

Various political party representatives and stakeholders attended the talk and gave their input on democracy.