ANGOLA

Angola votes without President Jose Eduardo dos Santos in contention

August 23, 2017

The election for the 220-seat National Assembly will test whether Angola can open up to democracy without igniting another civil war. The winning party chooses the president, who doubles as head of the government, and for the first time in 38 years that choice won’t be Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

He has announced he won’t stand for election, but remains head of the ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). The party is on track to win another term in government.

Oil-producing Angola has been hit hard by falling global crude prices, which opens the way to unrest. Reuters observes that most of the country’s 22 million people live in grinding poverty and they have become increasingly frustrated in recent years as low crude prices hammered growth. The situation might spur a bolder attempt from the opposition to break the MPLA stranglehold on power in the country’s fourth election since independence in 1975. MPLA dominates the political arena, having won in 1992, 2008 and 2012 with a parliamentary majority. The election will test the ruling party’s willingness to tolerate any serious challenge to its power.

The MPLA fought a 27-year-civil war against the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - during a quarter century of fighting. The death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi in 2002 ended UNITA’s insurgency and cemented the MPLA's hold on power. UNITA is now the main opposition party, but holds only 32 parliamentary seats against 175 for the MPLA. The Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola (CASA-CE) and two small parties hold the remaining seats.

The MPLA has chosen Defence Minister Joao Lourenco as its presidential candidate. Its main rival is UNITA, which has chosen Isaias Ngola Samakuva as its candidate. Abel Epalanga Chivukuvuku is the CASE-CE candidate.

#22175 Published: May 22, 2017