Fears of post-election instability in Angola have more than doubled the demand in Luanda's commercial establishments, with floods of people eager to secure food on the day before Angola's fifth elections.

Fresh produce, rice, oil, and pasta are the products with the most sales in the various warehouses and commercial establishments in the Angolan capital, where the store managers guarantee to meet consumer demand.

The considerable presence of people, among buyers and sellers, at the Pedrinhas market, in the Terra Nova neighborhood, urban district of Rangel, draws the attention of those who circulate there, in an intense movement of vehicles that also supply the warehouses.

Traders acknowledge it is an abnormal flood, compared to previous days, and link the demand for basket goods to Wednesday's elections, due to fears of instability after the suffrage.

Natália Francisco, manager of a warehouse in that circumscription, told Lusa that the demand for products in her establishment has increased considerably, especially today, "because people are kind of worried" about the post-elections.

"I believe it's because of what's being said about the election. People are kind of worried because they don't know what is going to happen after the election, so they are wanting to increase the 'stock' of their houses," he told.

With a large number of invoices in hand and always attentive to the movements of the customers present in the warehouse, this manager noted that rice, cornmeal, oil, and pasta lead the demand from customers.

"Yes, we have [enough quantity to meet demand]. Rice, cornmeal, oil, pasta have more output and in large quantities, people are really wanting to have a considerable 'stock' at home," he added.

Among dozens of customers in that warehouse, Valdick Oliveira went to the commercial area, adjacent to the Congolese Market, to "do a little shopping" because "the house stock is low".

The civil servant pointed out, on the other hand, the need to have the essentials at home because he is equally skeptical about what might emerge after Wednesday's elections.

"Today I really came to increase the 'stock' and also because of tomorrow, you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow [Wednesday] so I came to increase the home reserve," he stressed.

Valdick Oliveira also defended that Angolans should go to the polls, considering, however, as legitimate the generalized concern about post-electoral instability.

"In my view, [the fear] is legitimate, because if you don't know after the event that will happen today [Wednesday] what comes next, then there is a need to increase the 'stock' at home" he insisted.

In that commercial area, the intense movement of people with products, carried on their heads and others in wheelbarrows, conditions the circulation of passers-by, in the same place where the saleswomen also commercialize retail products.

In another commercial surface, in the same area, the manager Celestina Fernando spoke of "abnormal" demand for products, on a day that she considered very hectic, due to the elections.

"People are concerned about shopping to prevent already what is going to happen and they are worried about it. The demand has multiplied, yes," he said.

The manager lamented, on the other hand, the increase in prices of products, in relation to the months before the elections, noting that the price of a 25-kilogram bag of rice rose to 9,000 kwanzas (20 euros) against the previous 7,000 kwanzas (16 euros).

The increase in the prices of the basic food basket was also observed by Mariana de Jesus Singui, who also went to one of the warehouses in that market to buy five kilos of rice for 2,500 kwanzas (5.7 euros).

For the young unemployed woman, the increase in prices has made life even more difficult for Angolans, who are living the period leading up to the general elections with "fears of war.

"They are saying they are going to close the warehouses, you might have a war or people are coming to buy something, that fear is not normal," he pointed out.

"But things are not really good in this country, the [kilogram of] beans used to be 600 kwanzas [1.3 euros], but now they are 900 kwanzas [2 euros], things are really bad. João Lourenço [current Angolan President and candidate for the ruling MPLA] came to ruin our country, it's not good," he said.

The great movement of people in commercial surfaces and informal markets is still registered in several points of the Angolan capital.

Angolans vote today for the general elections, a process that is considered to lack transparency by the opposition, but that the government believes and considers to be exemplary.