Angola readies for historic polls without longtime president

The polls will mark the end of President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos' 38-year reign. But his party is tipped to retain power despite the country's economic crisis and concerns over the transparency of the election.

Outgoing Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos greets crowds at the ruling MPLA partys final election rally in Luanda, Angola, August 19, 2017.
Reuters

Outgoing Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos greets crowds at the ruling MPLA partys final election rally in Luanda, Angola, August 19, 2017.

Angola is going to the polls on Wednesday in an election marking the end of President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos' 38-year reign.

It is the biggest political transition in decades for the leading oil-exporters in Africa.

However, Dos Santos' party, People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (or MPLA), is tipped to retain power despite the country's economic crisis.

Despite its oil wealth, most of Angola's 22 million people live in poverty.

Critics also accuse Dos Santos of corruption, specifically of mismanaging Angola's oil wealth and enabling an elite, including his family, to become vastly rich.

"The president basically privatised the state in favour of his family and a few cronies. For these individuals it's all about having the resources at their disposal, to have the same lifestyle as the richest people in the world have, with no care for what happens to the people," said Angolan journalist Rafael Marques de Morais.

With protests and demonstrations banned, there are also concerns about the fairness of the electoral process.

TRT World's Francis Collings has more.

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