Angola’s ruling party claimed victory yesterday in the oil-rich nation’s chaotic landmark election despite opposition attempts to have the result canceled.
The ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) of Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, in power for more than 30 years, predicted a sweeping victory after polls closed late on Saturday.
Voting in the first election since the end of a three decade long civil war began on Friday but was extended on Saturday because of delays and a lack of registers in many polling stations. An African observer mission said the vote had been credible but an EU mission delayed giving a verdict.
“We are going to win big time,” MPLA spokesman Rui Falcao said. “The victory is not in question, only whether we get the numbers required.”
Partial results released by the electoral agency on Saturday indicated an early lead for the MPLA.
ith 35 percent of votes counted from across the country, MPLA won by 81.7 percent, followed by UNITA with 10.5 percent.
MPLA is winning in most provinces, including UNITA’s former stronghold of central and southern provinces, including Huambo, Bie and Benguela.
The opposition UNITA is trailing the MPLA in 14 of 18 provinces.
The Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) — the MPLA’s main foe during the civil war that left 500,000 dead — called on Angola’s Constitutional Court to annul the vote.
It said the delays and lack of ballot material had rendered the vote “illegal.”
UNITA has also accused the ruling party of misusing state funds and monopolizing the media during the campaign.
Alceides Sakala, head of UNITA’s parliamentary group, said: “As far as Luanda is concerned, it was a scandal, the way it was organized.”
Despite the confusion, Angolans turned out in force to vote for the first time since fighting ended in 2002. The electoral commission reported a high turnout, but did not give a figure.
International observers gave cautious approval. Monitors from the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) group said the vote was “peaceful, free, transparent and credible” and reflected “the will of the people.”
But it said delays and procedural glitches could have put off many voters.
The head of the EU observer mission, who on Friday morning called the voting process a “disaster,” was more circumspect.
“There have been problems and they’re trying to change them,” Luisa Morgantini said. “We’ll see what will happen.”
The EU mission said it would delay its official report on the elections until today.
The MPLA said it hoped to get the two-thirds majority needed to change the Constitution.
UNITA said the fact that the problems with polling stations mainly affected Luanda’s sprawling shantytowns — where 90 percent of the city’s 5 million to 7 million residents live — was a ploy to discourage voting in areas where the MPLA was not expected to get a majority.
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