Angola's first provisional results show MPLA wins election

A woman looks at a ballot paper before casting her vote during the general election in Cacuaco, a suburb of the capital, Luanda, Angola August 24, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Provisional results from vote counting in Angola's general election indicate the ruling party MPLA, which has been in power for nearly five decades, holds a strong lead over the main opposition party, the National Electoral Commission (CNE) said on Thursday.

With 33% of the votes counted, CNE said the first provisional results showed the MPLA, led since 2017 by President Joao Lourenço, who is seeking a second five-year term, garnered 60.65% of the vote, and UNITA got 33.85%.

A billboard with the face of Angola's President and leader of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) ruling party Joao Lourenco is seen on dilapidated buildings during the general election in the capital Luanda, Angola August 24, 2022. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

(Reporting by Catarina Demony in Luanda; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)