Dos Santos loyalist to lead

– The election victory of Angola’s ruling party was confirmed yesterday, despite angry complaints from opposition parties as almost all votes were counted and poll observers backed the outcome.

Joao Lourenco, candidate for the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), is set to succeed President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, pictured, as head of the oil-rich country.

Dos Santos, who is reportedly in poor health, announced his surprise retirement earlier this year, signalling the end of his 38year reign.

The MPLA, which has ruled since Angola’s hard-fought independence from Portugal in 1975, won 61.1% of the vote, according to the official count.

With 97% of the ballots counted, the two main opposition parties, Unita and Casa-CE, took 26.7% and 9.4%, respectively.

Despite the victory, MPLA support has dropped since the previous election, in 2012, as the country suffers an economic crisis triggered by the fall in oil prices.

Dos Santos, a secretive and much-criticised leader, handpicked veteran party loyalist Lourenco, 63, as his successor.

Lourenco, until recently defence minister, has vowed to boost foreign investment and said he wants to be recognised as a leader who brought an “economic miracle” to the country.

He is expected to formally assume power next month.

“The elections have been held in a free, honest and peaceful atmosphere,” said Augustine Mahiga, head of the observer mission for the Southern African Development Community.

But Mahiga called for measures to “ensure that state resources and public media are not used for the benefit of a single party” – a direct criticism of the MPLA’s conduct during the election.

As soon as the first results were announced on Thursday, Unita and Casa-CE alleged that the voting process had been flawed.

Claudio Silva, a Unita representative, said the count was “an act that violates the law”. Miguel Michel of Casa-CE said he “didn’t recognise” the results that had been published.

Opposition leaders earlier complained they were deprived of media access and that voters in opposition strongholds were forced to cast their ballots at polling stations far from their homes.

The opposition had hoped to tap into public anger over inflation of 40%, as well as low growth and high unemployment. – AFP