Joao Lourenco, the leader of Angola, is predicted to win the election
Joao Lourenco, the leader of Angola, is predicted to win the election
Joao Lourenco, the leader of Angola, is predicted to win the election.
As long as his MPLA party maintains its lead in the nation’s fiercestly contested election in its democratic history, Joao Lourenco is certain to continue serving as president of Angola.
Election officials said that the governing MPLA was polling at 51.7% compared to 44.0% for its main opposition Unita after more than 97.5% of the votes had been counted.
It appears like Lourenço will be elected to a second five-year term in office.
According to Lucas Quilunda, spokesman for the election commission, the preliminary results give Unita 90 seats and the MPLA 124 seats in the legislature.
MPLA lost its absolute majority in parliament after receiving 10% fewer votes than in the 2017 elections. MPLA has dominated Angola since it gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
Working with the opposition “didn’t change anything,” according to the party’s spokesperson Rui Falcao, and wasn’t a restriction.
“We have to take the time to analyse what happened, what we did over the last five years and redirect some of our actions,” he said.
Demand For Peace.
The 68-year-old military general Lourenco, who received his education in the Soviet Union, is credited with extensive reforms that increased financial openness among other things.
But detractors claim that his anti-corruption drive is intended to settle political scores.
A victory for the MPLA had raised fears that violence might break out.
At a press conference, a senior Unita member stated that the official results did not match their own parallel count.
“We hope there can be common sense, we are not encouraging a rebellion, the process is not over, we must remain calm,” stated Anastacio Ruben Sicato.
Angry Unita activists gathered at the party headquarters in Luanda.
“We are convinced the results are not reliable, the MPLA has lost, it’s time for Joao Lourenco to leave the presidential palace,” they said.
Disappointment
The election on Wednesday was advertised as being the most fiercely contested since Angola’s independence.
Unita’s leader Adalberto Costa Junior and the outcomes are disappointing.
Abel Chivukuvuku, the party’s Deputy Leader, earlier claimed that the party’s own results proved it was winning.
At a news conference that was aired live late on Wednesday, he stated that there is a “clear provisional signal of a winning trend for Unita in all provinces.”
Adalberto Costa Junior asserted on Thursday afternoon that MPLA and Unita were tied with 47 and 46 percent, respectively.
Election results from the past, including the 2017 election, have been challenged; this procedure can take several weeks.
The Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) team of observers, however, stated that the election was conducted “in conformity with international requirements” and Angolan law.
In an election that has been overshadowed by a faltering economy, inflation, poverty, and drought, more than 14 million people were registered to vote. The unemployment rate among young individuals is about 60%.
The campaign was further hampered by José Eduardo dos Santos’ passing away last month in Spain, Lourenco’s predecessor.
On Sunday, his 80th birthday, he will be laid to rest in Angola.
