UNITA warns about pressure on workers for election registration

O the largest party of the Angolan opposition, UNITA, denounced alleged pressure on officials in public institutions in Angola to submit evidence of the electoral record, at a time when the elections of 2027 are being updated.

In a memorandum on the process submitted to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, to which Lusa had access today, the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) questions the legal basis of the measure and also alerts the “insufficiency” of registration counters in rural areas.

Angola has held the electoral register for citizens over the age of 18 since June 15, in view of the general elections of 2027. The procedure is translated into the proof of the life of the citizen, through which a comparison is issued with the place where he will vote.

According to UNITA, some public institutions and employers in Angola will be “requiring” the employees to present this evidence at the workplace.

The party says it is concerned with “communications and guidelines” attributed to public institutions and employers who would be “obliging” workers to submit proof of updating the electoral register.

Citizen awareness of the importance of the process “is legitimate and necessary”, but “it should be clearly distinguished from the imposition of administrative requirements that can be interpreted as forms of pressure or embarrassment,” says UNITA.

“ The possible association of non-submission of evidence to sanctions, labour losses or other adverse consequences requires particular attention to their legal basis”, refers to the memorandum.

UNITA also requests the disclosure of the guidelines issued, the clarification of their legal basis and the “issue of clear instructions that prevent any form of administrative coercion or discrimination of workers”.

The authorities intend to register more than 16.7 million citizens in this process up to 31 March 2027. The electoral register is being made at the Single Public Service counters (BUAP), installed in municipal administrations and provincial governments.

In this document, UNITA is also concerned about the “insufficiency” of coverage of the BUAP, defending the need to publish updated data on the planned, installed and effectively operational posts, aggregated by province and municipalities.

The disclosure of the timing of the inactive posts is also “requirement” of this party.

The lack of BUAP, especially in rural areas with difficult access, “can create inequalities in the exercise of citizenship rights, penalizing citizens who face greater obstacles to access to care”, he adds.

UNITA also denounces that some CAP, as are known the party's action committees in power, MPLA (Popular Movement of Liberation of Angola) and Residents' Committees would be carrying out proof of life in the context of the electoral registry, where the institutional identification of the responsible agents “would raise doubts”.

To the authorities, UNITA requests the regular publication of information on the BUAP and Civil Registry services, including location, schedules, service capacity and working schedule, as well as data on mobile brigades and the results achieved.

It also advocates the issuing of clear guidelines to public institutions and employers, “distinguishing civic awareness of any form of administrative coercion, discrimination or imposition without legal basis”.