JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — Angola's first election in 16 years was seen by some analysts and observers as a halting, if not entirely free and fair, step toward democracy. But the results announced Wednesday left others worried that the African nation had tilted dangerously toward becoming a one-party state.
According to official provisional results, the ruling MPLA won 81.8% of votes and the main opposition UNITA party won 10.4% in Friday's balloting, giving the ruling party well over the two-thirds parliamentary majority required to change the constitution.
While the ruling party has not made clear plans for constitutional change, critics fear it could further entrench the powers of the president and the dominance of the MPLA.
In the oil-rich southern African nation, which has massive Western investments, praise for the election was lukewarm. Relief that the balloting was largely peaceful and did not lead to renewed civil war was tempered by criticism that the election failed basic international standards.
Angola's only previous election, held in 1992, was a botched attempt to end decades of war. UNITA rejected the results, and the country endured 10 more years of fighting.
There was disappointment this week among Angola's civil society groups that the West, with huge oil interests in Angola, was not more critical of the election's shortcomings.
But according to a Western diplomat who declined to be named, there was never an expectation that the vote would be free and fair. The best that could be hoped for was that the country would take a peaceful step toward democracy.
Angola rivals Nigeria as Africa's biggest oil producer, and is ranked by the watchdog group Transparency International as equally corrupt. In recent years, Human Rights Watch has said that billions of dollars in oil revenue have disappeared, while Transparency International has reported the finances of the state oil company, Sonangol, to be extremely opaque.
Many Western observers found the advantages of incumbency -- access to state resources and control of the media -- gave the ruling party an overwhelming advantage in the election.
European Union observers said the election fell short of international standards. They were critical of the chaotic voting process, particularly in the capital, Luanda, which saw some polling stations open late and others not at all.
