Angola’s former Marxist ruling party was set to win a national election as it maintained a solid lead over the main opposition after most votes were counted on Thursday amid accusations of fraud.
A win for the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) would extend its nearly five decades of continuous rule since independence from Portugal in 1975.
The election commission said on Thursday that with about 86% of the votes counted, the MPLA was ahead with a 52% majority, while their main opposition rivals the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) had 42%.
If confirmed, that result would give President Joao Lourenco a second five-year term.
But UNITA, led by Adalberto Costa Junior, dismissed the first results announced by the commission earlier on Thursday as unreliable.
Youth in Luanda were angry at the provisional results. The capital voted massively in favour of UNITA,
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
