AFRICA/ANGOLA - The outgoing President dos Santos towards the re-election

Luanda (Agenzia Fides) - The re-election of the incumbent President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos seems certain, although the final results of the parliamentary elections on 31 August are still missing. The MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), dos Santos’ party, received about 72% of the votes. According to the new Constitution of Angola, the leader of the party that brings the most votes in the legislative elections becomes the new Head of State.
The main formation of the opposition, UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) obtained 18.4% of votes. MPLA and UNITA are the two historical movements of independence in the Country from Portugal, which then faced each other in two bloody civil wars (the first from 1975 to 1992, the second from 1994 to 2002) that devastated the Country. Now the two movements confront each other at a political-electoral level, not without controversy, given that in this election the leadership of UNITA accused the rivals of fraud. Election Observers, however, have ruled that the vote took place "in a free and transparent manner." To try to break the duel MPLA-UNITA a new party, called CASA (Wide Convergence for the Salvation of Angola) was recently been created, which received 5.6% of votes. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 03/09/2012)