PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LIKELY TO BE DELAYED UNTIL 2010

Angola's Constitutional Commission announced on 15 July 2009 that the county's long-anticipated presidential election will likely be delayed until 2010. The commission recently requested a 180-day extension to complete the new constitution, which must be ratified before the election can take place; the original deadline for completion was 23 September. The new constitution will decide whether the president will be elected by the parliament or by popular vote, as is currently the case, and will likely include provisions for future deals in the country's booming oil sector. The election will be Angola's first presidential poll since 2002