ANGOLA’S SECOND POST-WAR ELECTIONS

The August 2012 elections in Angola saw the ruling MPLA party retain power with 71 per cent of the vote, though this was a decrease from 82 per cent in 2008. The document describes the election as a 'procedural exercise in democracy' characterized by widespread irregularities, including the use of a 'parallel counting centre' and 'forced abstention' through the manipulation of voter lists. It highlights a rising tide of social unrest, specifically among youth and demobilised soldiers, and the emergence of a more consolidated opposition through UNITA and the new CASA-CE coalition. The report further details the consolidation of power by President Jose Eduardo dos Santos through constitutional amendments and the creation of a US$5 billion Sovereign Wealth Fund (FSDEA) managed by his son, while noting that the regime's failure to address poverty and corruption may lead to future instability.

• The 2012 elections marked a transition from 'autocratic hegemony' in 2008 to a 'competitive autocratic' race where the ruling MPLA party could no longer fully dominate the process. While the MPLA secured 71 per cent of the vote and 175 seats in the 220-seat national assembly, this represented a decline from its 82 per cent share in 2008.
• The electoral process was riddled with systemic irregularities and fraud. These included the use of a 'shadow CNE' and a 'parallel counting centre' to fabricate provincial results, the hiring of the Spanish company INDRA despite previous fraud allegations, and the failure to perform a complete audit of the Voter Registration Central Computer File (FICRE).
• The regime employed a strategy of 'forced abstention' to disenfranchise voters, contributing to an abstention rate of 37 per cent, compared to a historical maximum of 13 per cent. This was achieved by creating chaos in voter lists and directing voters to polling stations in different provinces.
• There was a significant rise in popular unrest and the 'breaking of the fear barrier' among the youth and ex-combatants. Youth protests in 2011 demanded the removal of the president and equitable wealth distribution, while approximately 3,000 demobilised soldiers marched in June 2012 to demand retirement subsidies, with some reports claiming 51 were arrested by military police.
• The opposition became more consolidated and effective. UNITA reconstituted itself as a political party with a 'shadow government' and increased its parliamentary representation to 32 seats. The Convergence for National Salvation – Electoral Coalition (CASA-CE), led by Abel Chivukuvuku, emerged as a 'third way' and secured eight seats.
• President Dos Santos consolidated power through a 2010 constitutional amendment that allows the head of the winning party list to be elected president. He further extended his influence by creating the US$5 billion Angolan Sovereign Wealth Fund (FSDEA), which is managed by a board including his son, Jose Filomeno dos Santos.

APA

ROQUE, P. C. (2013). ANGOLA’S SECOND POST-WAR ELECTIONS. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2013_23May.pdf

Chicago

ROQUE, PAULA CRISTINA. ANGOLA’S SECOND POST-WAR ELECTIONS. Institute for Security Studies, 2013. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2013_23May.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=ROQUE |first1=PAULA CRISTINA |title=ANGOLA’S SECOND POST-WAR ELECTIONS |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=May 2013 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2013_23May.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{roque2013angolas, author = {ROQUE, PAULA CRISTINA}, title = {{ANGOLA’S SECOND POST-WAR ELECTIONS}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2013}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SitRep2013_23May.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }