Angola: MPLA claims election victory August 24 /update 3

Event

The ruling MPLA party claimed it won a majority of votes in the Angolan presidential election on Thursday, August 24, after reviewing polling data collected on the night of Wednesday, August 23.  The Angolan Election Commission is yet to release any results. Votes have been counted in all but three of Angola's 18 provinces (Moxico, Benguela, and Lunda Norte). Residents of the aforementioned provinces will cast their votes on Saturday, August 26, at 15 polling stations. According to a spokesperson for the Angolan National Electoral Commission, the delay was due to a plane carrying electoral material having crashed.

The main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), has disputed the MPLA's victory announcement and claims there have been a number of voting irregularities, including fraud, in several provinces, including Huambo. In Luanda, voters were reportedly unable to access their polling stations,  and were redirected to other sites miles away. Overall, however, the Electoral Commission said that the elections ran smoothly.

Preliminary results are expected to be released by the Election Commission on Friday, August 25, and final results will be announced within two weeks. Security has been heightened across the country in anticipation of possible unrest; protests, which could turn violent, cannot be ruled out. 

Context

Presidential elections took place without major incident on Wednesday, August 23, as Angolans voted for a successor to longtime President Eduardo Dos Santos, who will step aside after ruling the country for 38 years. His political party, the MPLA, has been in power since Angola's independence from Portugal in 1975. MPLA's presidential candidate this election cycle is current Minister of Defense João Lourenço. He is running against UNITA opposition candidate, Isaias Samakuva, in addition to candidates from four other parties.

Constitutional changes implemented in 2010 dictate that the president must be selected via a general election rather than a direct presidential election; the leader of the winning party in general elections automatically becomes head of state.

Advice

Individuals present across Angola are advised to monitor local news and to stay away from public gatherings, as violence may flare up without warning.

Western authorities generally advise against travel to Cabinda province as well as nonessential travel to Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul provinces due to security concerns. Travel should only be considered with appropriate security protocols in place. Due to the threat of kidnapping, those present in Angola more generally are advised to keep a low profile and to remain alert for suspicious behavior and signs of surveillance. If you notice something suspicious, move immediately to safety and report the incident or situation.