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José Eduardo dos Santos, Angola’s president for the past 30 years, has provided the strongest indication yet that long-expected presidential elections will be delayed until 2012.

Critics believe Mr dos Santos is trying to extend his rule as long as possible. Oil-rich Angola has not held a presidential election since 1992. Polls have repeatedly been delayed.

Mr dos Santos told his Angolan Popular Liberation Movement (MPLA) “everything indicated” that a constitutional reform abolishing presidential elections in favour of a parliamentary system would be approved in the next few months.

That would in turn “set new times for the mandates of elected bodies”. The MPLA, a left-wing movement that won a 27-year civil war, holds more than 80 per cent of legislative seats. In the new system, the party with a majority in parliament would choose the president.

Mr dos Santos added that the MPLA government should serve out the four-year term it won during last year’s parliamentary contest. “It’s desirable that MPLA can complete its mandate,” said the president, to loud applause from about 2,000 party members. That means the next elections are not likely to take place until 2012.

Critics say Mr dos Santos, 67, intends to stay in power indefinitely. “The system of government favoured by the MPLA will concentrate a lot of power in the hands of the president,” said Fernando Macedo, a professor of constitutional law at the Lusíada University in Luanda.

“The strategy [of Mr dos Santos] is to be in power as long as he can without term limits,” he added.

Mr Macedo argued that the weakness of Angola’s opposition made a parliamentary system particularly dangerous for the country’s democracy. He described the popular consultation surrounding the proposed constitutional reform as a “farce”.

A senior foreign diplomat said: “If there is any opposition within the MPLA, it is hidden.”

The same diplomat added that the party was a “ruthless and efficient machine”.

Mr dos Santos emphasised the need to do more to fight poverty, which has worsened this year thanks to a sharp fall in oil prices and an economic slowdown. Boosted by high oil prices and burgeoning demand by China, Angola enjoyed double-digit growth rates between 2005 and 2008. But the country is expected to grow by only about 1 per cent this year.

Delegates overwhelmingly voted in a secret ballot to re-elect Mr dos Santos as party president.

ft.com