[4] The international response was mixed, with the European Commission, the United States and the Southern African Development Community praising the elections as generally fair, while Human Rights Watch has questioned the legitimacy of this result.

The MPLA emphasizes its work in rebuilding and developing the country following the end of the civil war in 2002, and the party was perceived as having a very strong institutional advantage.

[12] The UNITA campaign stressed the party's claims that the MPLA government had made insufficient progress in rebuilding the country following the end of the civil war and had failed to alleviate poverty.

[13] According to Radio Ecclesia, 13 people were arrested on August 11 for allegedly holding an unauthorized rally and causing traffic disruption while campaigning for UNITA in Rangel, near Luanda.

Furthermore, according to PLD President Analia Victoria Pereira, the MPLA had full access to the resources of the government and military to assist in its campaign.

Wary of such interference or disruption due to MPLA institutional influence, most of the parties chose to print materials for the election in South Africa rather than Angola.

"[11] Prime Minister Fernando Dias Dos Santos responded to the report on the same day with an assurance that the election would be "free, fair and transparent".

[14] Dan Mozena, the United States Ambassador to Angola, said in an interview with Radio Ecclesia on 28 August that the US would send 40 observers for the election.

According to the statement, the MPLA benefited from "state funding and media coverage", while the other parties received their allotted campaign money late.

[22] Luisa Morgantini, the head of the EU observer mission, said at a press conference on 8 September that the organization of the election was poor, although she remarked positively on voters' behavior.

The Pan-African Parliament observer mission gave only half-hearted approval of the election, saying that voter education was inadequate and suggesting that the media was dominated by the MPLA.

José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, gave an essentially positive assessment, describing the election as "a step towards the consolidation of a multiparty democracy, a fundamental element for peace, stability, and socio-economic development".

According to Samakuva, some of his party's delegates had "received false credentials, or were given wrong addresses of non-existent polling stations", and he said that there was widespread confusion in Luanda; meanwhile, Mbimbi condemned the election as "political theatre".

[24] In an interview with a South African radio station on 8 September, Samakuva alleged that some people were told and even forced to vote for the MPLA.

[27] UNITA leader Samakuva said on 7 September that "the final result might not fully reflect the will" of the people, but also said that the election marked "an important step towards consolidation of our democracy".

According to the statement, only 20% of the party's poor performance was the result of UNITA's own failings; it placed the primary blame for its defeat on abuses by the MPLA.

[45] The EU observers criticized lack of transparency and strongly pro-MPLA media bias in their election report published on 11 December 2008.

Human Rights Watch urged that the electoral commission be reformed "to ensure credible and independent oversight of all future elections".