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Angola: Marxist Mpla
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Despite recent progress in establishing peace in Angola, there are still several political and economic rifts between the MPLA and UNITA. For example, during the long years of civil war, UNITA captured the majority of Angola's diamond mines. The diamond mines served as the chief source of UNITA's money, arms, and fuel during the war. UNITA carved out a chunk of the diamond industry by taking the areas of Lunda Sul and Lunda Norte Provinces near the Zairian border.
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In 1576, Angola was founded by the Portugese, and then developed into the governmental center of the colony in 1627. Slaves were taken to Brazil from here. Angola became independent in November 1975 after almost 500 years of Portuguese rule. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) fought together for independence but then turned their guns on each other. The MPLA prevailed and its leader Agostino Neto formed a government. Civil war has continued in Angola, despite a succession of peace accords brokered by the United Nations.
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Angola has begun to rebuild since its 27-year civil war ended in 2002. The war, which pitted Jonas Savimbi’s UNITA party against the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by José Eduardo Dos Santos, largely ended with the death of Savimbi in 2002. President Dos Santos has pledged to hold general elections in 2006.
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Angola has moved a step closer to holding its long-delayed national elections with the completion of a widespread voter registration campaign. The ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola [MPLA] government announced that nearly 8 million Angolans had been added to the voting lists for the parliamentary poll in 2008 and the presidential ballot in 2009. The government... did not set a date for the two elections. The country has not held a national election since a disastrous 1992 presidential race was aborted after the first round, leading to the resumption of the civil war. [Reuters 19/09/07]
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Angola is governed under the constitution of 1975, as amended. After many years of one-party Marxist rule, Angola is now a struggling multiparty democracy. Its executive branch is headed by a president, popularly elected for a five-year term, who serves as both chief of state and head of government. A prime minister and council of ministers are appointed by the president. Angola has a unicameral 220-seat National Assembly, whose members are elected by proportional vote for four-year terms, and a judicial branch with a supreme court. Its legal system is a mixture of Portuguese civil law and traditional law.
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Following the completion of voter registration in mid-September, Angola's long-delayed legislative election is likely to take place in late 2008, to be followed by the presidential election in 2009. Given the powers of incumbency, the EIU expects the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertacao de Angola (MPLA) to win the legislative poll and ... expects the president, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, to stand in, and win, the presidential poll. With oil production set to rise strongly against a background of high oil prices, strong economic growth is set to continue over the forecast period, averaging 21.1% in 2008 and 12.9% in 2009. Sustained high government spending and buoyant domestic demand are likely to keep inflation high, averaging 13.2% in 2008 and 14.7% in 2009. The rapid increase in oil exports and high international prices are forecast to keep the current-account in surplus, although owing to rapid real GDP growth the surplus will fall from an estimated 28.8% in 2007 to 26.3% in 2008 and 19.2% in 2009.
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