26th May, 2013
Equatorial Guinea was voting in legislative elections on Sunday in a climate of tension after opposition demonstrations against the regime of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
Victory is a foregone conclusion for Obiang’s party, which already holds 99 of the 100 seats in the parliament of the oil-rich west African country.
Sunday’s parliamentary and local elections follow constitutional reforms adopted after a referendum in 2011 which established a Senate as well as creating the post of vice president and limiting presidential terms to two.
The opposition branded the referendum, which saw voters approve the reforms by 97 percent, a fraud aimed at cementing the power of Obiang, who has been in power since 1979.
Opposition activists took to the streets on May 15 to protest Obiang’s regime.
Obiang has ruled Equatorial Guinea with an iron fist since he took power, and is often criticised for his record on human rights.