Angola's ruling MPLA party wins 74 percent of vote

LUANDA, Angola – President Jose Eduardo dos Santos' ruling party has won 74 percent of the national vote, assuring his government, in power for 33 years, another five years in power.

With more than 73 percent of the votes counted from Friday's poll, the state election commission said Sunday that the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola has gained a large majority, but it is down from the 82 percent that it won in 2008.

The largest opposition party, UNITA, won 18 percent of the vote, nearly twice its share from 2008. And newcomer party, CASA-CE, gained 4.6 percent. Both opposition parties criticized the elections for not being free and fair.

The elections were largely peaceful and relatively well-organized in this country of 19 million that is Africa's second largest oil producer.