Angola's Upcoming Election: Date And Implications

Angola's last general election was held on 23 August 2022, with the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) claiming victory. The MPLA has been in power since 1975, and the 2022 election was the most competitive since 2008, with the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) securing 90 of the seats in parliament to MPLA's 124. The MPLA's João Lourenço is now serving his second term as Angola's third president since independence.

Angola's 2022 general election

Angolans went to the polls on 24 August 2022 to elect a president and National Assembly members. The election was historic, with the ruling party, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), facing its toughest challenge since the country gained independence in 1975.

The MPLA, led by incumbent president João Lourenço, secured a second term with 51% of the vote. The main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), won 44% of the vote. The election was a tight race between the two parties, with the MPLA losing 25 seats in the 220-member National Assembly, and the UNITA gaining 39 seats.

The MPLA has been in power since 1975 and has traditionally controlled the electoral process and state media. The party has seen a steady decline in support over the years, with this election marking a record low in terms of votes received. The UNITA, which was once a rebel movement, has gained popularity, especially among the youth, who are facing high levels of poverty and unemployment.

The election was not without controversy. International observers raised concerns about the electoral roll and biased reporting by state-owned media outlets. The opposition UNITA also rejected the results, citing discrepancies in the vote count and a lack of transparency. Four of the 16 members of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) did not sign the final results, expressing doubts about the electoral process. Despite these concerns, regional and international election monitors, including those from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), declared the election process peaceful and adequately conducted.

The United States called for all parties to express themselves peacefully and resolve any disputes through legal means. The close election results and the presence of a strong opposition party in Angola's parliament will likely lead to a shift in the country's political landscape, with a need for greater compromise and dialogue.

The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA)

The MPLA has ruled Angola since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. The party's leader, Agostinho Neto, became the country's first president. In 1977, the MPLA adopted Marxism-Leninism as its party ideology and added the Partido do Trabalho (Labour Party) to its name. However, after the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union fell, the MPLA abandoned its Marxist-Leninist ideology and declared social democracy as its official ideology in 1990.

The MPLA emerged victorious in the 1992 general election, but the election was disputed by opposition parties who claimed it was rigged. As a result, hostilities broke out between the MPLA and UNITA, leading to the resumption of the civil war. The war continued until 2002 when the leader of UNITA, Jonas Savimbi, was killed. A ceasefire was agreed upon, and the MPLA won the subsequent 2008 elections with around 82% of the vote. The party has continued to dominate in subsequent elections, although its share of the vote has decreased over time, dropping to 51% in the 2022 election.

The MPLA has not been without controversy, with the party being accused of human rights violations, including arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture, by international organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA)

UNITA's support largely came from the Ovimbundu and Chokwe ethnic groups in central and southern Angola. The party initially had a Maoist stance but later adopted an anti-left position when it began working with Portuguese officials against the Soviet-supported MPLA. A coup in Portugal in 1974 led to a swift end to Portuguese colonial involvement in Angola, and the MPLA announced the independent People's Republic of Angola in November 1975.

UNITA continued to fight the MPLA, positioning itself as an anti-communist guerrilla movement and receiving support from South Africa and the United States. By 1988, however, South African and Cuban troops had withdrawn from Angola, and the stage was set for a resolution of hostilities. The MPLA demonstrated its willingness to negotiate with UNITA by releasing hundreds of detainees and accepting UNITA's demand for a multiparty system. Talks in Lisbon resulted in the Bicesse Accords, which were signed in May 1991 and provided for a ceasefire, demobilization of troops, and democratic elections.

Despite the presence of international observers who declared the September 1992 elections generally fair, UNITA claimed widespread fraud and continued the armed struggle. The civil war ended in 2002 following Savimbi's death, and UNITA abandoned armed struggle and participated in electoral politics. The party won 51 out of 220 seats in the 2017 parliamentary election. In the 2022 elections, UNITA had its best performance to date, winning almost 44% of the vote, but the MPLA maintained its majority.

The Angolan Civil War

The roots of the conflict can be traced back to the anti-colonial movements of the 1950s. The MPLA, primarily an urban-based movement in Luanda, was largely composed of Mbundu people. On the other hand, the FNLA and UNITA were rural groups, with the former consisting mainly of Bakongo people from Northern Angola and the latter, an offshoot of the FNLA, made up of the Ovimbundu people from the Bié Plateau.

The MPLA and UNITA had different support bases in Angolan society and incompatible leaderships, despite sharing the goal of ending colonial rule. The MPLA had the backing of the Soviet Union and Cuba, while the UNITA was supported by the US and South Africa. The conflict soon escalated into a Cold War proxy war, with foreign military and political involvement from global superpowers and their allies.

The Bicesse Accords ended the civil war in 1991, and multi-party democracy was introduced. General elections were held in 1992, and the MPLA won a majority of the seats in the National Assembly. However, UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi claimed the election was rigged and refused to participate in the runoff, restarting the civil war.

The civil war finally ended in 2002 following Savimbi's death. The MPLA received over 80% of the vote in the 2008 elections, winning a majority in the National Assembly. In 2017, João Lourenço became Angola's third president, with the MPLA securing 61% of the vote.

Angola's multi-party democracy

Angola's multiparty democracy has been a work in progress since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. For 16 years after independence, Angola was a one-party Marxist-Leninist state ruled by the Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola (MPLA). The MPLA's rule was interrupted by the Angolan Civil War, which lasted from 1975 to 2002.

In 1991, the Bicesse Accords ended the civil war and introduced multiparty democracy to Angola. The following year, the country held its first parliamentary and presidential elections. The MPLA won an absolute majority in the parliamentary elections, and its candidate, José Eduardo dos Santos, won the first round of the presidential election with 49% of the vote. However, the renewal of the civil war prevented a runoff election from taking place, and dos Santos continued to rule without democratic legitimacy.

In 2002, the civil war ended with the death of opposition leader Jonas Savimbi. Elections were delayed until 2008, when the MPLA won another landslide victory, receiving 82% of the vote and 191 out of 220 seats in the National Assembly.

In 2010, Angola adopted a new constitution, establishing a presidential republic with a multiparty system. The 2010 constitution grants the president almost absolute power and provides for the automatic appointment of the leader of the winning party or coalition as president.

In 2017, dos Santos stepped down after 38 years as president, and João Lourenço, the MPLA's candidate, was elected. The 2017 election was notable for the increasing electoral support for the opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which gained 44% of the vote in the 2022 election, making it the biggest opposition party to the MPLA.

Despite the adoption of multiparty democracy, Angola still faces challenges in terms of representation, rule of law, local democracy, and judicial independence. Corruption remains a significant issue, affecting the economy, politics, and society. However, the country has made advances in freedom of the press, the absence of corruption, and personal integrity and security over the past five years.

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