There are very few instances of revolutionary movements that once in power are able to share that power with others. The recent elections in Angola have provided just such an opportunity, but are the rival parties willing to take it (“Angola president set for re-election with reduced majority”, Report, August 27)?
The election, which gave the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) 45 per cent of the votes, with President João Lourenço’s Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) receiving little over 51 per cent, down from 61 per cent in 2017, suggest that the MPLA no longer has the legitimacy to govern the country as a one-party state. But it is not clear that the MPLA accepts this.
Speeches to date have avoided as much as possible mentioning the opposition. The inauguration itself was an ode to military might, rather than a gathering of the different components of civil society.
Lourenço’s recent efforts at addressing poverty in the country have been thwarted by declining oil prices and the need to respond to the Covid pandemic.
His reform programme included attempting to recover the estimated $100bn of funds stolen by the elite during the period 2002-2017, but this led to tensions with those within the MPLA still aligned with the former president, José Eduardo dos Santos.
Such internal tensions could be forcing Lourenço to consolidate his support within the military, rather than reaching out to Unita.
More dispiriting to outside observers was the low turnout in the elections. Less than 45 per cent of the electorate voted, compared with 76 per cent in 2017. The population’s apparent disavowal of politics combined with its greater impoverishment has the potential, if not addressed, to create an explosive mix.
Sir Charles Petrie
Former UN Assistant Secretary General
Political Analyst, Luanda, Angola
