Angola’s opposition to challenge election results

Angola’s largest opposition party, UNITA announced Tuesday it would challenge the results of the legislative elections declared the day before, which gave the ruling party the victory and a second term for the Incumbent President, Joao Lourenco.

The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola “does not recognise the results” of the national electoral commission (CNE) and “will file an appeal that will have the effect of suspending the declaration of the final results,” said Alvaro Chikwamanga Daniel, the party’s secretary general, in a recorded video statement sent to African Editors on Tuesday.

The party said it had “not been informed of the decision” of the commission to ratify the results, and had not received “a copy of the minutes of the count”.

The candidates have 72 hours after the announcement of the results to refer the matter to the constitutional court and contest.

Angola held the closest election in its history on Wednesday.

Four of the 16 members of the NEC did not sign the final results, expressing doubts about the electoral process.

In power since independence from Portugal in 1975, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won 51.17% of the vote, according to the National Electoral Commission. The 47-year ruling MPLA won the 2017 elections by a landslide with 61% of the vote, recording its lowest score ever.

UNITA received 43.95% of the votes cast. The party had already contested the preliminary results last week.

The results of the 2017 elections had already been contested.

Less than half of the estimated 14.4 million registered voters for the eight-party election.