Angola’s Ruling Party Takes 2-1 Lead in Election
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LUANDA, Angola — The ruling party held a 2-1 lead Friday as counting continued from the country’s first multi-party elections, but its civil war foe UNITA was chipping away at it.
President Jose Eduardo dos Santos’ lead had shrunk to more than 60% from over 70% as returns began to come in from the populous central provinces of Bie, Huambo and Benguela. Those areas are strongholds of Jonas Savimbi, leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola.
Counting was going slowly, with only 20% of votes tallied by late afternoon.
Savimbi had about 30% of the total, and figures were similar in the two parties’ contest for the 223-seat Parliament.
UNITA fought the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) government in a devastating 16-year war.
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