Angola's Electoral Process: Voting Frequency Explored

Angola is a constitutional republic with a multi-party democracy. The country has three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. The President of the Republic is both the head of state and head of government and is advised by a Council of Ministers. Legislative power rests with the 220 members of the National Assembly, who are elected by voters. The leader of the party or coalition with the most seats in the National Assembly automatically becomes President.

Angola's first multi-party elections were held in 1992, with the President being elected by the public for the first time. Since then, the country has held general elections every five years. The most recent election took place on 24 August 2022, with incumbent president João Lourenço being re-elected for a second five-year term.

How often are elections held in Angola?

Elections in Angola are held within a multi-party democratic framework. The country's political regime is presidentialism, where the President of the Republic is also the head of state and government. Legislative power is vested in the President, the government, and the 220-member parliament, known as the National Assembly.

The National Assembly is directly elected by voters, and elections for this body are held every five years. The leader of the party or coalition with the most seats in the National Assembly automatically becomes the President. The President is elected for a five-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms.

Angola's history of elections has been tumultuous, with the country's first post-independence elections in 1980 delayed due to the Angolan Civil War. The first elections in 1992 were crucial to the country's democratic process, as they were the first and only time Angolans directly voted for their president. However, the civil war resumed after these elections, and subsequent elections in 2008, 2012, 2017, and 2022 were not considered fully free and fair due to the ruling party's efforts to retain power.

The most recent general elections were held on 24 August 2022, with the next elections expected in 2027.

Who can vote in Angola?

In Angola, voters must be at least 18 years old and hold Angolan citizenship. They can be disqualified from voting if they have an undischarged bankruptcy or criminal conviction, are declared insane, or hold dual nationality.

In the country's 2022 general election, eight parties were on the ballot paper, including the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, and the Humanist Party of Angola.

The 220 members of the National Assembly are elected by two methods: 90 are elected in 18 five-seat constituencies, and the remaining 130 are selected by proportional representation using closed lists, allocated proportionally to the nationwide results.

Who can run for president?

In Angola, the president is both the head of state and the head of government. Each party nominates a candidate for the presidency, who is the first entry on their list. The president is elected by a double simultaneous vote, meaning that each vote for a party is automatically a vote for their presidential nominee. The nominee must be clearly stated on the ballot paper. The candidate of the party that receives the most votes is elected president.

To be eligible to run for president, a person must be at least 35 years old and hold Angolan citizenship. They cannot have an undischarged bankruptcy, criminal conviction, or dual citizenship, and they cannot have been declared insane. Members of the government, judiciary, and armed forces, as well as chairs of boards of state-owned companies, are ineligible to run for president.

Who is the current president?

Who is the current president of Angola?

João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço is the current president of Angola. He was born on 5 March 1954 and has served as the country's third president since 26 September 2017.

Lourenço is an Angolan politician who was designated in December 2016 to occupy the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party's number one position in the August 2017 legislative election. As the MPLA won a majority of 150 seats, Lourenço automatically became President of Angola, succeeding José Eduardo dos Santos, who had been in power for 38 years.

Lourenço's political career began as an MPLA soldier in the Angolan War of Independence against the Portuguese. He later fought in the Angolan Civil War as a member of the MPLA. He studied at the Lenin Military-Political Academy in the Soviet Union, completing a master's degree in Historical Sciences.

Lourenço's early political career was confined to the MPLA, where he was responsible for keeping guerrilla soldiers' morale high. He rose through the ranks of the ruling party, serving as the provincial commissioner of Moxico Province for the MPLA, president of the Regional Military Council of the 3rd Military Political Region, and First Secretary of the MPLA, among other roles.

In 2014, Lourenço was appointed Minister of Defence, and in 2016, he became vice-president of the MPLA. In September 2018, he became the Chairman of the MPLA, replacing José Eduardo dos Santos.

During his presidency, Lourenço has taken steps to distance Angola from Russian and Chinese influence and foster closer ties with the United States. He has also made significant strides in human rights, legalising Angola's first LGBT collective and replacing a colonial-era law that banned homosexual acts.

What are the requirements to become president?

To become the President of Angola, a person must be the leader of the party or coalition with the most seats in the National Assembly. The President is both the head of state and the head of government in Angola.

The President of Angola is elected by double simultaneous first-past-the-post voting for the same five-year term as the assembly, renewable once. Each participating party nominates a candidate as the top of its list, who must be clearly identified on the ballot paper. The top candidate of the party gathering the most votes is elected President in accordance with the 2010 Constitution.

The 2010 Constitution also introduced a two-term limit for the President and abolished the post of prime minister, instead introducing the post of vice-president.

Voters must be at least 18 years old and hold Angolan citizenship. Candidates must be at least 35 years old and hold Angolan citizenship. Members of the government, judiciary, and armed forces and chairs of boards of state-owned companies are ineligible for election.

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