Jose Eduardo dos Santos, of the ruling
MPLA, has led Angola since 1979, when the country's first president,
Agostinho Neto, died.
Long-awaited presidential elections, the
first since 1992, are expected to be held in 2009. With many towns
and villages
remaining inaccessible,
the president says repairs to roads and railways need to be completed
before the vote can take place.
Although Mr dos Santos has said he won't
run in the presidential election, he does not appear to have groomed
a successor and has sidelined potential
rivals.
In the 1992 presidential poll he narrowly beat Unita leader Jonas
Savimbi, who rejected the result and resumed his guerrilla war. There
was no second round of voting in the poll, although Mr Dos Santos is
recognised internationally as Angola's president.
The Assembleia Nacional (National Assembly) has 220 members,
elected for a four year term, 130 members by proportional representation
and 90 members in provincial districts.
- Aliança Democrática de Angola (Democratic
Alliance of Angola)
- Fórum Democrátrico Angolano (Angolan Democratic Forum,
conservative)
- Frente Nacional para a Libertação de Angola (National
Front for the Liberation of Angola, conservative)
- Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola Partido de
Trabalho (Popular Liberation Movement of Angola/Labour Party, authoritarian/extreme
left)
- Partido da Aliança da Juventude, Operários e Campesinos
de Angola (Party of the Alliance of Youth, Workers and Farmers of Angola,
extreme left)
- Partido Democrático para Progreso/Aliança Nacional
Angolano (Democratic Progress Party/Angolan National Alliance, conservative)
- Partido Liberal Democrático (Liberal Democratic Party)
- Partido Nacional Democrático Angolano (Angolan National Democratic
Party, progressive)
- Partido Renovador Democrático (Democratic Renewal Party, centrist)
- Partido Renovador Social (Social Renewal Party, centrist)
- Partido Republicano de Angola (Republican Party of Angola, conservative)
- Partido Social-Democrata (Social Democrat Party)
- Unio Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (National
Union for the Total Independence of Angola, authoritarian/conservative)
