This Friday, Angola holds parliamentary elections, and manyview the poll as a test case to see whether the country is ready forpresidential elections next year.
Angola'snearly 30-year civil war officially came to an end in 2002. The country is nowin the rebuilding phase, with newfound oil revenues.
VOA correspondent Scott Bobb is following theelections. From the capital, Luanda, he spoke to English to Africa Servicereporter Joe De Capua about Friday's legislative elections.
"Today (Wednesday) is the last day of thecampaign period?and all the parties held their largest rallies of the entirecampaign. MPLA, the governing party, drew tens of thousands, if not a couple ofhundred thousand people, to their rally?. And (opposition party) UNITA alsoheld its at the same time in another part of town. On Friday, some eightmillion registered voters are to go to the polls for the first time in 16 yearsand they're to elect a new parliament. MPLA is expected to do very well andmany observers are waiting to see just how the UNITA Party and some of thesmaller parties do," he says.
Bobb says the issues include growth, reduction ofpoverty, and jobs.
"The past six years have been one of building andrebuilding, but really there's still much to be done. And so, what observersare looking for is the degree of patience or frustration of the Angolan people,for whom the expectations of a better time are growing, given the rise inprices for petroleum, diamonds and other minerals, [with] which Angola isrichly endowed," he says.
Asked whether there's a consensus on whether theelection will be free and fair, Bobb says, "It depends who you ask. The rulingparty and the government believe that they are and will be. The oppositionparties, in particular UNITA, have complained of a lack of access to the media,that, although they have five minutes every night, each party does, on nationaltelevision, the media have devoted a very large amount of coverage to theachievements of the government. The observers have been largely quiet, waitingto see the outcome of the vote before they make their pronouncements."
Some international human rights organizationshave questioned whether there's a level playing field for Friday's vote. "Interms of the government's desire to see a free and fair vote, most believe thatis sincere," he says.
Angola has surpassed Nigeria as Africa's largestoil producer. All the political parties are calling for oil revenues to beinvested in infrastructure, building a major refinery, factories, job creationand improving education.
