DJ Meister Mandeltree Kommunikation GmbH: Request for election observers from USA and EU: Angolans and NGOs support US Senate resolution US Senate for 'free, fair and peaceful elections'
DGAP-Media / 2022-08-15 / 10:00
Request for election observers from USA and EU: Angolans and NGOs support US Senate resolution US Senate for "free, fair and peaceful elections".
Luanda / Washington, August 15th, 2022 - On August 24th, the people of Angola will decide whether the current ruling party will have to hand over power to the opposition party UNITA after 46 years of rule. A resolution introduced in the US Senate calls on Angola's government to hold "free, fair and peaceful elections". Now representatives of Angolan civil society and various NGOs have written to the US Congress expressing "broad and enthusiastic support in Angola" for this resolution. The letter is available to Meister Mandeltree and can be accessed on its website.
Resolution DAV22F19 R28, sponsored by Democratic US Senators Bob Menendez (Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee), Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy), was introduced in the Senate on August 3rd.
The signatories - eight organisations and 131 individuals - write: "Adoption of this resolution will help promote conditions for fair competition between all political parties during election campaigns and prevent electoral fraud, subversion, violence and intimidation. Ultimately, the resolution aims to guarantee a peaceful period before and after the elections as a valid symbol of democratic principles," stress the signatories, including activist Luaty Beirão.
The signatories warn that the vote must be accompanied by a "sufficient number of credible local and international observers"; otherwise, it will be "almost impossible to observe the electoral process", and there is a risk that the vote will produce "similar results to all others in Angola under the tight control of the current ruling party (MPLA) due to its illegal advantages".
The adoption of the resolution by the Senate by the three democratic senators "gives hope and encouragement to Angolan voters and all democratic countries in the world to exercise their right to vote".
"An election in which votes are accurately counted will prevent the political and social tensions that plague the country and limit the political corruption that affects hopes for a democratic process," the signatories added.
More than 14 million Angolans, including those living abroad, are eligible to vote on August 24th in the fifth elections in Angola's history.
In the last election in 2017, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won a majority with 61.07 per cent of the vote and 150 MPs, while the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) received 26,67 per cent and 51 MPs.
Challenger Adalberto da Costa Júnior of UNITA is running against President João Manuel Lourenço in this election. According to the polls, the opposition party is narrowly ahead. The old guard must fear losing power.
Challenger Adalberto da Costa Júnior must also fear massive manipulation by the ruling party, which has held on to power for 46 years. It is already evident that the ruling party does not shy away from dirty tricks. Even the pre-election campaign was dirty.
To prevent massive election rigging and manipulation, UNITA candidate Adalberto da Costa Júnior travelled to the EU and the USA and asked for independent election observers to be sent.
Contact:
Master Mandeltree Friedrichstrasse 200 10117 Berlin, Germany Email: office@mandeltree.de Phone: +49 30 235918680 Challenger Adalberto da Costa Júnior of UNITA is running against President João Manuel Lourenço in this election. According to the polls, the opposition party is narrowly ahead. To prevent massive election rigging, he travelled to the EU and the USA and asked for independent election observers to be sent.
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Issuer: Meister Mandeltree Kommunikation GmbH Key word(s): Politics
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Language: English
Company: Meister Mandeltree Kommunikation GmbH
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EQS News ID: 1420027
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 15, 2022 04:00 ET (08:00 GMT)
