Angola’s main opposition Unita party has released a statement criticising Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for prematurely congratulating Joao Lourenco for becoming president-elect.
The statement said that it was with “amazement and disappointment” they heard him congratulate Mr Lourenco, who is the presidential candidate for the ruling MPLA party.
Provisional results, announced by Angola’s electoral Commission, say the MPLA has over 60% of the vote.
But in the statement Unita complained that the results have not been collated properly yet and, by announcing the provisional results, the electoral commission committed a gross violation of the law.
Portuguese newspaper D Noticias adds that activist Nuno Dala sent an open letter to the Portuguese president to criticise him for congratulating Mr Lourenco for, what he says are “forged results”.
