Angola anxiously watches vote counting in national election

By FERNANDO LIMA
Associated Press

LUANDA, Angola (AP) — Angolans are anxiously watching the vote counting in the election race between the ruling MPLA party and the opposition UNITA. According to preliminary results announced Thursday morning by the National Electoral Commission, with 86% of votes counted the MPLA has the lead with 52% of the votes and UNITA has 43%. Smaller parties have the remaining votes. This is the opposition party’s best showing in 30 years. But many supporters of UNITA assert their party should be in the lead and that the official results are not accurate. The MPLA has been in power for 47 years.