Angola’s ruling party heads for election victory

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Angola's ruling party, which is in power since over five-decades, is set to win this week's general elections, the National Electoral Commission said.

With 97% of the ballots counted, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has won 51.07% of the vote, while the main challenger and civil war rival, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), got 44.05%.

Angolans voted Wednesday in the country’s fifth multi-party elections to choose a president and 220 members of parliament.

The electoral body said the ruling party's share of seats was 124, while UNITA's was 90.

More than 14 million Angolans registered to cast ballots.

UNITA said Thursday it is considering to contest the results as its own tally showed it was ahead, but called on supporters to remain calm.

The MPLA, which has led the oil-rich Southern African country since gaining independence in 1975, is criticized for not containing high unemployment, inflation and poverty. It is led by President Joao Lourenco, who is now guaranteed a second term in office.

UNITA, a former rebel-turned-opposition group, is headed by Adalberto Costa Junior.

Lourenco succeeded Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who died last month at 79 in Barcelona following a long illness. He ruled the former Portuguese colony from 1979 to 2017.

His body was returned to Angola last weekend, and is expected to be buried on Sunday, which would have been his 80th birthday.