Post-vote scenarios: Angola’s Political Earthquake: The Aftermath of the August 2022 Elections

A political earthquake struck Angola on 24 August through the ballot box. The incumbent party of government – the MPLA – saw its share of the vote decline from 61 percent to 51.17 percent: a dramatic decline of 9.9 percent. The MPLA has been the only party to govern the country since it gained independence from Portugal in 1975, but saw its poorest showing since 2008 (when it was at a high of 81.6 percent). Abstention increased to 55.17 percent, and low turnout was also noticeable among most diaspora although they were allowed to vote for the first time.