Agency confirms Angola ruling party's poll victory
Thursday September 07 2017
The National Electoral Commission (CNE) Wednesday confirmed the victory of the ruling MPLA party in Angola's August 23 General Election.
CNE chief Andre da Silva Neto announced that the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola won with 61.07 per cent vote and 150 MPs.
Consequently, the MPLA flag-bearer and former Defence minister João Lourenço, is expected to be sworn-in on September 21, marking the end of Jose Eduardo dos Santos's 38-year presidency.
The Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) came second with 26.7 per cent of the votes cast and 51 MPs.
The Board Convergence for Angolan Salvation- Electoral Coalition (Casa-Ce) was the third with 9.4 per cent and 16 MPs.
Were illegal
Fourth was the Social Renovation Party (PRS), with 1.45 per cent of the vote and two MPs, followed by the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) with 0.93 per cent and a single MP, then the National Patriotic Alliance (APN) with 0.51 per cent and no MP.
Four political parties on Sunday disputed the MPLA victory, according to the provisional results, and vowed to unite to challenge the poll outcome.
The parties said in a statement that the provisional results were illegal and unconstitutional.
However, CNE spokesperson Júlia Ferreira dismissed the opposition claims as unfounded, untimely and illegitimate.
End of the war
She promised a more careful analysis of the claims.
The August 23 election was Angola's fourth since it gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and the third since the end of the war in 2002.
MPLA has dominated the Angolan politics since independence.
It won the elections in 1992, 2008 and 2012, with a parliamentary majority.
In 2012, MPLA secured 74 per cent of the vote against Unita's 18 per cent. Casa-Ce emerged third with 6 per cent vote.