Angola: Russia and Nicaragua congratulate João Lourenco on election victory

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent “sincere congratulations” to his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço after the elections and expressed his wish that the new mandate “will contribute to the development of constructive bilateral cooperation.”

“I hope that your activity at the head of state will continue to contribute to the development of constructive bilateral cooperation in various spheres,” Putin’s message to João Lourenço, circulated by the Russian Embassy in Luanda, said.

In the brief letter, the Russian president added: “This undoubtedly meets the fundamental interests of our peoples and continues to strengthen security and stability on the African continent.

The Nicaraguan government also congratulated “the brothers of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola” and wished “much success in this challenging period we live through as a human family, constantly aware that the struggle continues and the victories are certain.

The message from Putin and Nicaragua comes on the day that the National Electoral Commission (CNE) asked the Constitutional Court (TC) to reject the contested appeals of UNITA, the Bloco Democrático (BD), and the CASA-CE coalition “for lack of evidence and legal support” and to confirm the final election results.

The position of the National Electoral Commission of Angola (CNE) is outlined in the counter-arguments adopted today by the body’s plenary at its 33rd extraordinary plenary session, during which the two electoral challenges pending before the Electoral Tribunal were analyzed in detail.

UNITA and CASA-CE appealed the electoral process before the Constitutional Court last week, although neither case involved the annulment of the elections, the court said today.

“The court received two complaints late yesterday afternoon [Thursday], two requests