Angola’s ruling party sweeps polls

Angola’s ruling MPLA party secured a landslide parliamentary election victory on Wednesday, setting the stage for changes that critics fear could make the presidency even more powerful and weaken other institutions.

President Jose Eduardo dos Santos and other senior MPLA officials had campaigned hard to win the two-thirds majority needed to alter the country’s constitution. They have not specified what changes are in the works.

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The elections in Angola were under intense scrutiny in light of the shambles in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Spotlight now shifts to Malawi, which is due for an election soon. Campaign battle is raging between incumbent President Bingu wa Mutharika and former President Bakili Muluzi who is in the race.

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Angola opposition want fresh polls

Four opposition parties in Angola want fresh polls held after chaos erupted in some parts of the country during Friday`s Parliamentary elections – the nation`s first in 16 years.

The main opposition party – UNITA – has described the polls as a sham. “The process has collapsed,” Isaias Samakuva, president of UNITA told AFP. He said a new vote was the only solution. The opposition contends that ballot control was inadequate and many people were prevented from voting.

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