Angola’s president Lourenco wins second term
- Ex-Marxist party MPLA confirmed in power extending five-decade rule, handing President Joao Lourenco a second term
- Election has been overshadowed by a struggling economy, inflation, poverty, drought and the death of Lourenco’s predecessor
Angola’s President Joao Lourenco won a second five-year term on Monday after his MPLA party emerged victorious with a thin majority in last week’s closely fought election, extending its decades-long rule in the oil-rich country.
He promised to be the “president of all Angolans” and to open dialogue after the electoral commission announced the results, which saw the opposition make large gains while his party won with a slim majority.
“This is a victory for Angola and Angolans,” Lourenco, 68, said in his inaugural address shortly after the unveiling of the result of the August 24 ballot.
“This vote was a vote of confidence, which gives us the immense responsibility of promoting dialogue and social consultation.”
The National Electoral Commission (CNE) reported the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola won 51.17 per cent of the ballots against 43.95 per cent for the main challenger, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).
Despite the victory, the outcome – the tightest in Angola’s history – marked a record low for the MPLA and might yet end up in court after UNITA had earlier rejected provisional results.