Main opposition party accept results of legislative election

Angola's primary opposition party and former rebel group, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), announced on 9 September 2008 that it has accepted the results of the 5 September legislative election. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has thus far counted approximately 80 percent of the votes, with the ruling Movement for the Popular Liberation of Angola (MPLA) receiving 80 percent of the votes and UNITA receiving 10.5 percent. UNITA initially challenged the election and called for a new poll, stating that delays in opening polling stations in Luanda resulted in an unfair election and amounted to vote rigging by the MPLA. European Union election observers also reported instances of fraud, but have insisted that the violations were not serious enough to invalidate the election results. The NEC, therefore, dismissed UNITA's call for a new election, citing a lack of evidence. The 5 September election was the first in Angola since 1992 during a brief break in the country's civil war. Official results are expected within the next week.