Luanda – The National Electoral Commission (CNE) is to deliver on Monday (13) to the Constitutional Court (TC) the final copy of the Computer File of Adult Citizens (FICM), which also contains the data on those eligible to vote in the general elections scheduled for 24 August, this year.

According to a note from the TC, the delivery of the FICM – which will be done by a CNE delegation headed by its chairperson, Manuel Pereira da Silva – is part of the preparation of the general elections set for this year.

The final copy of FICM constitutes the data base of adult citizens who are eligible to vote in the current process after the elimination of the names of those dead or with suspended political and civic rights, plus those turning 18 years old after the elections.

The withdrawal of these citizens from the database was made by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and by the Superior Council of the Judiciary.

However, before these operations the Ministry of Territorial Administration (MAT) accounted for about 14 million voters at the end of the Electoral Registration/Confirmation Process, held from 23 September 2021 to 07 April 2022.

The Ministry of Territorial Administration (MAT) has clarified that this number was provisional and that it was necessary to wait for the calling of the elections to determine the number of adult (18 and over) nationals who would no longer be part of this FICM for the fact that they’ll not yet be eighteen when the voting takes place.

Of the total of registered voters in the provisional data base, 18,000 were registered abroad. The Electoral Registration outside the national territory only covered 12 countries due to logistical difficulties imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Territorial Administration (MAT) explained that these difficulties prevented the process to be extended to all countries where there are Angolan communities, especially because of the long periods of the quarantine and other logistical constraints.

After the convening of the general elections by the Head of State João Lourenço on 03 June 2022, the Constitutional Court opened the process of receiving the candidacies of political parties or coalitions interested in running for the upcoming polls, which is to close on 25 June.

After the elections of 1992, 2008, 2012 and 2017, this is the fifth time that Angola is to hold democratic elections since the end of the single party system.

Source: Angola Press News Agency