The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), the country’s largest opposition group, has rejected the preliminary results of the national electoral commission, alleging that errors in the counting process tainted the process.
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Adalberto Costa Junior, the leader of Unita, claims that the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), in power, is incorrect in its assessment of the outcome.
“There is not the slightest doubt that the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola did not win the elections on the 24th,” he said.
“The MPLA did not win the elections, therefore UNITA does not recognise the provisional results of the National Electoral Commission (CNE).”
The UNITA leader cited some examples of districts where, with 97 percent of the votes counted, the party would have received at least three more representatives in addition to the 90 reported by the CNE.
However, Adalberto Costa Junior urged Angolans to remain calm.
MPLA’s response has since been more subdued.
President Joao Lourenço was supposed to make a statement on Friday, but after media waited for three hours, they were informed that it would be postponed until the official results were released.
Although the MPLA released a video thanking supporters of Lourenço’s party, the only results that are currently considered official are those from Thursday night, when 97 percent of the votes had been counted, and the MPLA was given 51 percent of the vote to UNITA’s 44 percent.
