Election News

According to the BBC, here's a snippet from Angola:

'Popular Angolan rapper and government critic Adao Bunga, aka MC Life, has been sentenced to 45 days in prison for calling for free and fair elections at an unauthorised protest in the capital, Luanda, on Monday, AFP news agency reports.

It quoted the judge as saying:

The court condemns the accused to 45 days of imprisonment and a fine of 65,000 kwanzas ($390; £300) for the offences of rebellion and association with criminals."

Six other activists were sentenced alongside the rapper late yesterday, AFP reports.

He has previously described President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has ruled oil-rich Angola since 1979, as a "true despot" and a "fake democrat".

Defence minister Joao Lourenco is the ruling MPLA party's candidate in the August election after Mr Dos Santos announced in February that he will not run for office again.'

So, with elections due in August, the future is up in the air and maybe investors will wait to see what comes out of it. So far, I haven't read of any major disturbances and for everyone's sake let's hope it all passes off peacefully. Of course, Mr. Dos Santos himself is getting on a bit so I'm thinking he's had enough time to plan his departure properly (38 years) and that the system is sufficiently entrenched that a change of president can happen and life goes on.
B22.