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Article

31 Aug 2017

Author:
Rafael Marques de Morais, Maka Angola (Angola)

Angola: Rafael Marques, journalist & human rights advocate, claims elections were “stolen”

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"Angola: The Stolen Elections", 25 de August de 2017

"False," "fabricated," "invented," and "made up" are some of the words that various watchers and monitors of the electoral process have used to describe the results and numbers announced by CNE...[the National Electoral Commission]...Nowhere in Angola...were votes tallied beyond the polling station...Prior to the announcement by the spokesperson of CNE, Júlia Ferreira, the head of political and electoral affairs of MPLA, João Martins had already rallied the national and international media to claim victory by a landslide. What numbers he put out were the very same ones read out later by CNE's spokesperson. It does not seem to matter anymore because the international media, whose opinion or verdict is, for better or worse, often important to lend credibility to elections in places like Angola, had already concluded even before a single vote was cast, that the MPLA would win comfortably. Whether that win would be procured by fair or foul means was of no moment to them. The only thing they seemed interested in was to know a little bit more about Dos Santos's sucessor – General João Lourenço. A number of international observers, particularly Portuguese politicians, predictably praised the elections as "perfect"...The opposition organized itself to undertake parallel tallying of the votes...Ordinary Angolans have long been fed up with the kleptocratic regime of the MPLA and the accompanying neglect by the government of its social responsibilities, a severe economic crisis, widespread joblessness, and decades of misrule and sheer incompetence...MPLA could no longer control the hearts and minds of people through fear mongering, outright repression and corruption...[but]...has proven to be a master manipulator of the international media by getting it to buy into its narratives that serve to perpetuate and legitimize its power...Angolan voters have been robbed...[and]...have cost over half a billion dollars. For the international community it might be just business as usual with the Angolan regime. All that conversation about democracy and rule of law has never been meant sincerely. The Southern Africa Development Community Observation Mission has already declared the Angolan elections free and fair...

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