Angola’s Constitutional Court Thursday filed a final dismissal of The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola’s (UNITA) challenge to the nation’s August 24 presidential election results. As a result, UNITA and other opposition parties called for peaceful demonstrations to protest against what they have described as election “irregularities.” 

Speaking for the Constitutional Court, Lady Justice Laurinda Cardoso authorized the National Electoral Commission (CNE) to publish the definitive results of the general elections in the State Gazette once the electoral litigation phase is over.

UNITA’s complaint cited discrepancies between the commission’s count and UNITA’s own tally and accussed the electoral commission, mostly controlled by the MPLA, of fraud. A parallel count by civic movement Mudei, which monitored the voting process, also showed UNITA slightly ahead. Mudei also criticized the Constitutional Court for not deciding “in favor of seeking the truth”

Angolans took to social media to urge the electoral commission to release its result sheets so they can be compared with parallel counts. The nation has placed its armed forces in “high combat readiness” until September 20 to avoid incidents that might “disturb public order.” Analysts also fear the court decision could ignite mass street protests among poor and frustrated youth who voted for UNITA. Additionally, some foreign observers had expressed concerns about the electoral lists in particular.

Court chief Laurinda Cardoso told reporters that the court analyzed the evidence provided by UNITA and decided to reject the case. She explained that UNITA submitted photocopies and prints of the minutes of the electoral operations of the provincial constituencies of Luanda, Zaire, Cuando Cubango, Cabinda, Huambo, Bengo, Benguela, Huila and Cuanza Sul for a recount. Although it is not within the competence of the Constitutional Count to count the votes, the electoral truth principle led the judicial body to assess the documents submitted.

The Court stated that it detected 1,532 non-legible photocopies and prints of minutes, 307 polling stations with non-legible numbers, 612 without visible signatures, and 954 duplicate photocopies and printouts of minutes, but the inconsistencies did not call into question the overall results of the national tabulation of votes as presented by the CNE. According to the Court, UNITA did not present any documentation of results for Namibe, Cunene, and Lunda-Sul – the provinces in which they claimed they had more votes.