Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos on Monday called on Angolans to show ”respect and tolerance” in the lead-up to September elections, the country’s first since the end of a 27-year civil war.
”This moment represents an unprecedented step in the normalisation of our political institutions and democracy,” Dos Santos said ahead of the landmark legislative polls on September 5.
In a speech broadcast on national radio and television, he called for ”respect and tolerance” and ”a serene and peaceful climate” during the campaign.
”Let’s show the continent and the world about the ways to hold elections,” he said. ”Let’s frustrate those who without any reason believe that these elections are doomed.”
The Angolan leader, who has been in office since 1979 and whose MPLA party has been in power for 33 years, asked citizens in the oil-rich nation to ”avoid all forms of intimidation, insults that can lead to destabilisation”.
The last legislative elections were held in 1992 during a lull in fighting between the then Unita rebel movement and government forces.
Presidential elections are scheduled for 2009.
Official campaigning for the vote begins on Tuesday.
Angola overtook Nigeria in April as Africa’s largest oil-producer, according to Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries figures. — Sapa-AFP