Angola’s bishops call for peaceful elections, hope for ‘feast of democracy’
August 25, 2017
On the eve of presidential elections whose fairness has been questioned by opposition leaders and European observers, Angola’s bishops called for a peaceful vote.
President José Eduardo dos Santos, a former Marxist who has become more open to the free market in recent decades, is stepping down after 38 years in power.
Bishop António Jaca of Caxito, the president of the episcopal conference, said that he hoped the elections would “become a feast of democracy … showing democratic maturity and demonstrating that we can move on.”
“We can walk together as Angolan brothers without resorting to violence,” he added, according to a Fides report.
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Further information:
- AFRICA/ANGOLA - Waiting for the outcome of the elections that will determine dos Santos’ successor (Fides)
- Election in Angola Marks End of an Era (The New York Times)
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