The National Electoral Commission has decided to reject UNITA’s complaint as “unfounded”
Aug. 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The main opposition party in Angola, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), has refused to concede the victory of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) –of the president, João Lourenço– in the general elections this Wednesday, alleging that the process has been clouded by irregularities in the recount.
UNITA leader Adalberto Costa Júnior has refused to concede defeat, in his first official statement after the vote at a press conference held in the capital Luanda late on Friday.
Costa Júnior has affirmed that “brutal” discrepancies have been found between the mandates that the National Electoral Commission (CNE) received and those that it should have received.
“UNITA does not recognize the provisional results announced by the electoral commission,” said Costa Júnior, in statements collected by Bloomberg, urging Angolans to remain calm. “The party-state must understand that sovereignty resides in the people,” added the opposition leader.
The opposition party had repeatedly claimed that the electoral process, which was overseen by some 1,300 domestic and foreign observers, was opaque. Costa Júnior challenged the national electoral body to accept the creation of a working group to examine the records of the polling stations.
CNE REJECTS UNITA’S COMPLAINT FOR BEING “UNFOUNDED”
The plenary session of the CNE has decided this Friday to reject the complaint presented by UNITA on the procedure of the election results.
The spokesman for the electoral commission, Lucas Quilundo, has indicated that “the claim of this political formation was analyzed during the extraordinary session of the aforementioned plenary session, which rejected the request presented, for being irregularly founded, it does not correspond to what is established in the Organic Law “, according to the Angop news agency.
Quilundo has explained in statements to the press that the opposition party’s request has omitted information that should have been “provided immediately.”
In this sense, the spokesperson has made reference to article 135 of the Organic Law of General Elections, because the disclosure of the provisional results is based on article 135. However, UNITA has relied on article 123 on the Acts of the Boards of the Voting Assemblies.
Therefore, considering that the disclosure of the provisional results corresponds to article Number 135 of the Organic Law of General Elections, the Plenary Session of the CNE unanimously resolved to reject the precautionary measure.
“In general, the observation missions were unanimous in their reports, verifying that the general elections in Angola were held in accordance with international demands and fundamentally in accordance with the legal precepts of the Angolan Constitution,” said Lucas Quilundo.
According to data from the CNE, the MPLA won the elections with 51.07 percent of the votes and won 124 seats; compared to 44.05 percent of the ballots received by UNITA, which obtained 90 deputies.
With these provisional data, the MPLA candidate, João Lourenço, was elected at the polls for the position of President of the Republic, followed by Adalberto Costa Júnior (UNITA), Benedito Daniel (PRS), Florbela Malaquias (PHA) and Nimi a Simbi (FNLA).
The big loser in the elections was the Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola (CASA-CE) coalition, which will not have representation in the Assembly, after having had 16 deputies in the previous legislature.
The National Patriotic Alliance (APN) and the National Party for Justice in Angola (P-NJANGO) will also not be represented in the revalidation of the mandate of President Lourenço, whose formation has monopolized the politics of the African country since it became independent from Portugal back in 1975.
The electoral and security authorities have coincided in pointing out that the election day has gone by without major shocks, highlighting the “civility” shown by the voters at all times.
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