In Angola, tight elections that could affect ties with Moscow

Published on: 08/24/2022 – 04:29 Wednesday’s legislative elections in Angola, which will decide the next president, promise to be the tightest in the country’s history. The ruling party of the outgoing head of state is challenged by an opposition which promises socio-economic reforms and which could re-examine the close relations maintained so far with Russia. Angolans are called to the polls on Wednesday August 24 for legislative elections which will decide the next president, a poll announced as the tightest in the country’s history, between the party in power since independence and an opposition which promises to curb poverty and corruption. Polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. (6 a.m. GMT) to 6 p.m. (5 p.m. GMT) for the 14 million registered voters. Eight political parties are running in total. The candidate of the winning party in the legislative elections will be invested as Head of State. The results are expected a few days after the polls are held, but the deadline may be extended in the event of a dispute. In power since the country’s independence from the Portuguese Empire in 1975, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA ) favorite share, according to forecasts. Outgoing President Joao Lourenço, 68, is seeking a second term. The score that an opposition will achieve in recent years reinvigorated by its leader, Adalberto Costa Junior, 60, nicknamed “ACJ”, will be particularly observed. At the head of Unita, the first opposition party, ACJ led his campaign on promises of reform, the fight against poverty and against corruption. Relations with Moscow at stake A victory for Unita, which intends to review of the country’s ties with world powers, could affect the close relations maintained with Russia, an ally of the MPLA during the Angolan civil war. Backed by the United States, Unita condemned the “invasion of Ukraine by the Russia,” according to Adalberto Costa Junior, who traveled to Brussels and Washington to build relationships with Westerners ahead of the election. Incumbent President Joao Lourenço has grown closer to the West since his election in 2017 but abstained last March from supporting a UN resolution condemning Russia’s offensive in Ukraine. in an oil-rich country e but plunged into great economic difficulties. The opponent also seduces urban youth, less attached to the MPLA than their elders and who inherit a country plagued by decades of corruption under the presidency of José Eduardo dos Santos (1979-2017). Died last month in Spain, the former head of state is accused of having embezzled billions for the benefit of his family and loved ones. “There is no democracy with a single party in power”, lambasted Monday ACJ, during a meeting in Luanda. Calling on his supporters to go to the polls, he urged them to “not fear alternation”. “The margin will be smaller than ever,” said Eric Humphery-Smith, analyst at British firm Verisk Maplecroft. An opinion poll carried out in May showed Unita’s gain in popularity, credited with 22% of the vote, against 13% in 2019. While the MPLA enjoys a seven-point lead, nearly half of those polled said to be undecided. Many young people are going to vote for the first time, while those under 25 represent 60% of the population. Risks of fraud But with a ruling party that controls the electoral process and the public media, the opposition and part of the public are wondering about the possibilities of fraud. Social networks have recently relayed cases of deceased voters yet registered on the electoral lists. In 2017, Joao Lourenço was elected with 61% of the vote, with the label of designated dolphin of dos Santos. After his election, he quickly distanced himself, surprisingly launching a vast “clean hands” operation and dismissing key positions close to his former mentor. The current president intends to win thanks to his record of the last five years: in an oil-dependent economy in severe recession, he launched ambitious reforms, hailed abroad, to diversify sources of revenue and privatize public enterprises. “We created and restructured our economy,” he told a rally last weekend. With AFP and Reuters