Angola - August 2022

On 24 August Angola held an election for the National Assembly, and indirectly for the President. Observers from the African Union (AU) reported that balloting was carried out competently, but noted concerns about the opportunities for parties to hold events and regarding the transparency of an audit of voter registration lists. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has ruled Angola since independence, won the majority of the seats in the legislature and thus retains the presidency as well. However, the main opposition party, the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) increased its vote share from 27 per cent in 2017 to 44 per cent and doubled its number of seats in the National Assembly. UNITA challenged the result, alleging irregularities in the vote totals reported by the electoral authority. This challenge was rejected by the Constitutional Court on 9 September. The justices of the Constitutional Court were all appointed by MPLA presidents.

Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation, Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, Africa News