Lucas Quilundo, who was speaking to journalists at the first briefing of the day, two hours after voters began voting, said that all polling stations officially opened at 7:00 am local time (the same time in Lisbon) and the process is proceeding as normal.
"The process is currently taking place in an orderly and peaceful manner and the general atmosphere in the country is calm and there is no record of any anomaly", said the spokesman, in his first communication at the Aníbal de Melo Press Center (CIAM), of the country's capital.
The head of the CNE also urged those responsible for polling stations to strictly follow the legal requirements for attending and monitoring voters.
He also asked for priority voting for agents of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), health and emergency services and people with disabilities in accessing the assemblies.
The spokesperson for the CNE, the body that coordinates the electoral process, also appealed for the need "not to put obstacles in the way of voters who do not present themselves to assemblies without face masks" due to covid-19.
The CNE has scheduled a new briefing on the fifth general elections at 12:00 pm local time.
On Tuesday, the eve of the elections, the president of the National Electoral Commission (CNE) appealed to Angolans to vote in the general elections and again recommended that each person should leave the polling station, contradicting the movement "Votou, Sentou!".
In a message to the country, Manuel Pereira da Silva called for "massive participation in the vote", which has been taking place since 7:00 am this Wednesday at polling stations, in a "civic, orderly and responsible posture, compatible with the party atmosphere that characterizes the elections, refraining from any behavior likely to disturb public order and tranquility".
Therefore, wrote the president of the CNE, "each voter, after exercising their right to vote, must voluntarily leave the polling station".
During the election campaign, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola has insisted on the "Votou, Sentou!" movement, urging its supporters to stay close to polling stations to control the result of the final count.
This initiative is considered illegal by the authorities and is one of the reasons for tension expected in this Wednesday's elections.
The fifth general elections in Angola perpetuate the dispute between the country's two main parties, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which are trying to win a majority of the 220 seats in the National Assembly.
João Lourenço, current President, is trying for a second term and his main opponent is Adalberto Costa Júnior, leader of UNITA.
In total, eight political formations, seven parties and a coalition are running, trying to win the vote of 14.4 million voters. The approximately 13,000 polling stations in the country and the diaspora will be open between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm (same time in Lisbon).
The electoral process, which has around 1300 national and international observers, has been criticized by the opposition, considering it not very transparent.
