Ndalatando — A total of 1,626,624 Angolan citizens has completed the Unofficial Voter Registration and Proof of Life process across the country since the launch of the programme in June.
Speaking to the press, the Secretary of State for Local Authorities, Fernando Paixão André, said the process is progressing satisfactorily nationwide, with 362 One-Stop Public Service Centres (BUAP) currently operational and 272 more under implementation.
The official, who was speaking on Monday during a working visit by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Daniel Félix Neto, to Cuanza-Norte Province to assess the progress of the process and the operation of the BUAP centres, stated that 243 registration brigades are currently active across the country, with further increases expected.
He said the process would gain new momentum with the imminent deployment of more than 5,000 mobile brigades nationwide. Of these, 17 will operate in Cuanza-Norte Province to serve remote and hard-to-reach areas.
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Regarding Cuanza-Norte Province, where an average of 2,000 voters are registered daily, he said the figures are encouraging and expected to increase further with the addition of more voter registration operators.
The province currently has 17 operational BUAP centres and 14 more under implementation. This week, an additional 100 voter registration operators are expected to begin work.
The Secretary of State said the authorities are working towards decentralising the issuance of National Identity Cards (BI), a measure expected to support the updating of the unofficial voter registration database.
Concerning unofficial voter registration for Angolans living abroad, he said that, according to the established schedule, the process will begin in January 2027.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Cuanza-Norte, João Diogo Gaspar, said the minister's visit would help accelerate the process in the province, particularly through the allocation of vehicles to municipal administrations and BUAP centres, as well as motorcycles and field rations for registration teams.
He stated that the process is progressing normally in the province, with the support of traditional and religious authorities, as well as social organisations involved in mobilising citizens aged 18 and above.
He called on all Angolan citizens to contribute to the success of the process in the province, stressing that unofficial voter registration is a collective responsibility.
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Regarding the issuance of National Identity Cards, he said the province is operating with six mobile brigades across its municipalities and is conducting awareness campaigns to encourage civil registration, given its multiple benefits and its role in certifying an individual's citizenship.
On Monday, the Minister of Territorial Administration visited BUAP centres and Civil Identification institutions in the municipalities of Cambambe, Lucala and Cazengo, where he assessed the progress of the process in the province.
According to official estimates, more than 16 million citizens will be covered by the Unofficial Voter Registration Update and Proof of Life process, which will run until 31 March 2027.
To ensure the implementation of the programme, which aims to update the database of adult citizens for electoral purposes, the Ministry of Territorial Administration plans to gradually place 634 One-Stop Public Service Centres (BUAP) into operation throughout the country.
IMA/SC/DOJ
