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As the election nears, youth have become a decisive factor in swinging the pendulum. The election is scheduled for 24th August and political observers say that it would be a peaceful one. They feel that The voters will use their option diligently to elect a government that not only work for them but also for the future generations
In Angola, more than half the population is under 30, and that way the country is endowed with a rich demographic dividend. Many voters were born after the end of the war in 2002 and their births coincide with the oil boom. When oil prices fell in 2015, Angola’s economy had to bear the brunt since the growth declined, stalling many development projects. Gradually the country slipped into a high debt burden and a trajectory of shortages.
As the election nears, youth have become a decisive factor in swinging the pendulum. The election is scheduled for 24th August and political observers say that it would be a peaceful one. They feel that The voters will use their option diligently to elect a government that not only works for them but also for future generations.
But there are people who share different views. They feel that trusting politicians is extremely difficult and risky. Once they occupy the mantle of power, they care two hoots for the people they have voted them to power. Some voters are openly expressing the view that they would not exercise their franchise. Many are dissatisfied with the current state of the economy, despite an increase in oil prices. The politicians, they feel, can keep changing their views and priorities once elected.
Despite the negative vibes, which appear in some pockets, the mood of the nation is upbeat. Many feel and exhort people to exercise their franchise since the country belongs to all and change can be brought about only by participating in the voting.
In the meantime, the ground-level report is that incumbent Joao Lourenco is under increasing pressure in the run-up to the election. Opinion polls indicate that his rival in the presidential race, Adalberto Costa Junior, is ahead in most of the polls, indicating the strong will of the electorate to go for a change. Interestingly, eight political formations — seven parties and one coalition — are vying for the 220 seats in the National Assembly.
The main contestants are the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) headed by presidential incumbent Joao Lourenco and the opposition National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) headed by presidential candidate Adalberto Costa Junior. The other political parties in the contest are the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA), the Nationalist Party for Justice in Angola (P-NJANGO), the Humanist Party of Angola (PHA), the Social Renewal Party (PRS), the National Patriotic Alliance (APN), and the Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola Electoral Coalition (Casa-CE).
The top candidate of the party that wins the most votes is elected president. Joao Lourenco and Adelberto Costa Junior are the frontrunners in 2022. More than 14 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the general election. This year marks the fourth election in Angola’s post-war period. It is also the first in which Angolans living abroad will be able to vote. Hundreds of observers are set to be involved in the election.
The National Assembly consists of 220 deputies. Of that, 130 representatives are elected from the national lists of the parties, according to the number of votes obtained by each political formation in the elections. The remaining 90 parliamentarians are elected based on provincial lists, with each of the 18 provinces electing five deputies.
Currently, Angola’s ruling MPLA, in power since Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975. It holds an absolute majority, occupying 150 seats in the National Assembly, followed by the opposition UNITA, with 51 deputies, and the Casa-CE, with 16. The PRS has two deputies and the FNLA has one.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/angola-to-witness-an-eight-cornered-presidential-fight-on-24th-august/
https://trendsnafrica.com/angola-elections-lourencos-prospects-look-bright/
https://trendsnafrica.com/angola-turns-to-tourism-to-beef-up-economic-activities/
Issues such as unemployment, education, and vocational training are major concerns in the Angolan election campaign, as is poverty in general and the best ways of combating it. There is also a significant focus on corruption.
