Vote counting begins in tight Angola election | Information

Some 14.7 million folks had been registered to vote at 13,200 polling stations throughout the southern African nation.

Poll counting has begun in Angola on after polls closed in what was broadly seen as probably the most aggressive vote within the nation’s democratic historical past, with incumbent President Joao Lourenco squaring up in opposition to charismatic opposition chief Adalberto Costa Junior.

The Individuals’s Motion for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has dominated the oil-rich nation for practically 5 a long time, confronted its most severe problem for the reason that first multiparty vote in 1992.

Eight political events had been working, however the primary contest lay between the MPLA and its long-standing rival and ex-rebel motion the Nationwide Union for the Complete Independence of Angola (UNITA).

Pre-voting opinion polls steered that help for the MPLA – which received 61 p.c of the vote in 2017 elections – would dwindle, whereas the UNITA – which has entered an electoral pact with two different events – would make beneficial properties.

Angola is Africa’s second-biggest oil producer, however as with many poor nations sitting on oil wealth, a long time of pumping billions of barrels of crude has executed little for many besides to extend the price of dwelling.

Half of Angolans dwell in poverty and greater than half of under-25s are unemployed.

President Lourenco, who was looking for re-election, urged voters after casting his poll on Wednesday at Lusiada College in Luanda to exit and do the identical.

“In the long run, we are going to all win, democracy wins and Angola wins,” Lourenco advised reporters.

Some 14.7 million folks had been registered to vote at 13,200 polling stations throughout the huge southern African nation.

Angolans dwelling abroad had been for the primary time capable of solid ballots from overseas.

Outcomes are anticipated inside just a few days. In previous elections, outcomes have been contested, a course of that may take a number of weeks.