Brussels, 09/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a press release published on Monday 8 September, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, congratulated the people of Angola for their participation in the legislative elections held on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September, and for their enthusiasm for democracy. This was the first time such elections had been held since the end of the civil war in 2002. According to partial results now available (80% of votes have now been counted), the Mouvement populaire pour la libération de l'Angola (MPLA), the party under President José Eduardo dos Santos who has been the leader of Angola for the past 29 years, has won by a large majority. In power since the independence of the former Portuguese colony in 1975, the MPLA is said to have 80% of votes counted and its main rival, the UNITA movement of the former rebels, only about 10%. “These elections are a step towards the consolidation of a multi-party democracy, a fundamental element for peace, stability and socio-economic development”, the Commission press release states. The Commission is still awaiting the final report from the EU observation mission. According to first assessments, the elections were transparent, although failings were noted in the organisation of the elections, procedures on the ballot day and the amount of media coverage given to the opposition. (A.B./transl.jl)