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| Angola's ruling party wins five more years of power | Angola's ruling party wins five more years of power |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The ruling party of Angola's president, José Eduardo dos Santos, was assured of another five years in office after it won 74% of the national vote in elections on Friday. | The ruling party of Angola's president, José Eduardo dos Santos, was assured of another five years in office after it won 74% of the national vote in elections on Friday. |
| With 73% of the votes counted, the state election commission said on Sunday that the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has been in power for 32 years, had gained a large majority. The MPLA will remain in control of Angola's 220-seat legislature, although its margin of victory is down from the 82% that it won in 2008. | With 73% of the votes counted, the state election commission said on Sunday that the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which has been in power for 32 years, had gained a large majority. The MPLA will remain in control of Angola's 220-seat legislature, although its margin of victory is down from the 82% that it won in 2008. |
| The largest opposition party, Unita, won 18% of the vote, nearly twice its share from 2008. Newcomer party CASA-CE gained 4.6%. Both opposition parties criticised the elections for not being free and fair. | The largest opposition party, Unita, won 18% of the vote, nearly twice its share from 2008. Newcomer party CASA-CE gained 4.6%. Both opposition parties criticised the elections for not being free and fair. |
| The former Portuguese colony of 21 million people is Africa's second largest oil producer and, according to a diplomatic observer, the elections were largely peaceful and relatively well-organised. | The former Portuguese colony of 21 million people is Africa's second largest oil producer and, according to a diplomatic observer, the elections were largely peaceful and relatively well-organised. |
| "We didn't witness one single case of coercion or intimidation. People voted freely throughout the country," Leonardo Simao, chief of the observing mission of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, told the Associated Press. | "We didn't witness one single case of coercion or intimidation. People voted freely throughout the country," Leonardo Simao, chief of the observing mission of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, told the Associated Press. |
| He said the 57% turnout from 9 million eligible voters was good, particularly among women and the young, and that the voting process went smoothly. | He said the 57% turnout from 9 million eligible voters was good, particularly among women and the young, and that the voting process went smoothly. |
| "If there are people who have witnessed wrongdoings or violations of the law, they should use legal procedures to bring forward their grievances," Simao said. | "If there are people who have witnessed wrongdoings or violations of the law, they should use legal procedures to bring forward their grievances," Simao said. |
| Others, however, were more critical of the election process. | Others, however, were more critical of the election process. |
| Elias Isaac of the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa said: "The only surprise for me is that the ruling party did not get 90%." He said many abstained from voting and that "the whole system was built to exclude and prevent people from heading to the polls". | Elias Isaac of the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa said: "The only surprise for me is that the ruling party did not get 90%." He said many abstained from voting and that "the whole system was built to exclude and prevent people from heading to the polls". |
| The CASA-CE performed well for such a new party, "especially given the context of a virtual one-party system", Issac added. "But real change will only come when the electoral process is managed by independent, critical people.". | The CASA-CE performed well for such a new party, "especially given the context of a virtual one-party system", Issac added. "But real change will only come when the electoral process is managed by independent, critical people.". |
| Friday's elections were Angola's second since the end of the 27-year civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 2002, and the third since independence. | Friday's elections were Angola's second since the end of the 27-year civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 2002, and the third since independence. |
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