Blog

PROVISIONAL election results from Angola’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) indicate the ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) is leading so far.

According to CNE, with 33% of the votes counted on Thursday, MPLA garnered 60,65%.

Angola yesterday voted in a tight election, which is seen as a watershed moment in Angola’s electoral history.

Millions of Angolans voted in the country’s fifth multi-party elections between the ruling MPLA led by president João Lourenço, and the main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) led by Adalberto Costa Junior.

MPLA derives much of its support from its role in ending Angola’s ‪1975-2002‬ civil war against Unita.

Angolan citizens residing in Namibia yesterday cast their votes at the Angolan Embassy in Windhoek.

Young voters who spoke to The Namibian said they believe in change and are voting for a “better” Angola.

The Angolans residing in Namibia favoured Unita, with results released by CNE showing 882 Angolans based in Namibia voted for Unita, while 468 voted for MPLA.

“I came to vote because I believe that my country Angola deserves better. I want the youth to have a voice and bring change because the ruling party is not bringing change for the young people,” Angolan national Silvio Liahuka (24) said.

Miraslov Cambila (20), an Angolan studying in Windhoek, said he is voting for the betterment of his country.

“I’m voting to keep president João Lourenço in power because I believe he is doing a good job,” Cambila said.

The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) wished Angola a free and fair election, adding that a country cannot be a democracy without holding genuine elections.

“Elections give citizens a means to hold their leaders accountable by voting incumbents out of the office or promising to hold to account those leaders successfully elected. They are a mechanism to peacefully resolve the transfer of political power,” PDM spokesperson Hidipo Hamata said.

Hamata said genuine elections contribute to longer-term development goals, laying the foundation for responsive governance.

“Critical development efforts cannot succeed without a legitimate and democratically elected government that is responsive and accountable to its citizens. This election will provide an important opportunity to advance democratisation and encourage political liberalisation. This will help to promote peaceful, democratic political transformation that will lead to increased stability and prosperity,” Hamata added.