The politics of Angola’s 2022 general elections: revised and expanded edition

The general elections held in Angola on 24 August 2022 were generally anticipated as the most competitive in the country’s post-war era. That expectation held true, although the official results by a historically thin margin permitted the incumbent President and his Party to remain in power. This Report attempts to assess the election process up against common international standards of ‘free and fair’ elections, cases of alleged election rigging, and a discussion of whether the elections took Angola in a more democratic direction. Prior scepticism about the incumbent party’s willingness under any circumstances to concede defeat and give up power was clearly confirmed. Although we have found serious flaws in the way the process was conducted, and therefore also have doubts about the correctness of the election result and the legitimacy of the re-elected President, the study has provided an important opportunity to assess critical aspects of the Angolan political system.