Politics of Angola

Politics of Angola Political parties in Angola MPLA - UNITA Elections in Angola

The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (Movimiento Popular de Liberta��o de Angola) is an Angolan political party that has ruled the country since independence in 1975.

MPLA was founded in 1956 by Angolan students in Portugal.

The party was one of three movements (MPLA, UNITA, FNLA) advocating Angolan independence from Portugal. Its core base includes the Kimbundu ethnic group and the mixed-race intelligentsia of the capital city, Luanda. It formerly had links to European and Soviet communist parties.

The armed wing of MPLA was FAPLA (Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola). FAPLA later became the national armed forces of the country.

A 1974 coup d'�tat in Portugal established a military government that promptly ceased pro-independence fighting in Angola and agreed to hand over power to a coalition of the three movements. The coalition quickly broke down and Angola broke down into a state of civil war.

The United States, Za�re and South Africa intervened militarily in favor of the conservative FNLA and UNITA. In response, Cuba, backed by the Soviet Union, funneled resources to the communist MPLA. In November 1975, the MPLA had all but crushed UNITA, and the South African forces withdrew. The United States Congress barred further U.S. military involvement in the country.

Maintaining control over Luanda and the lucrative oil fields of the Atlantic coastline, the MPLA declared Angola's independence on November 11, 1975, the day the Portuguese abandoned the capital. Poet and freedom fighter Agostinho Neto became the first president upon independence, and he was succeeded by Jos� Eduardo dos Santos in 1979.

In 1976 MPLA adopted Marxism-Leninism as the party ideology.

In 1983 MPLA added Partido do Trabalho (Party of Labour) to its name.

Protracted periods of civil war and South African aggressions commenced until 2002, when UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi was killed. The two parties promptly agreed to a ceasefire, and a plan was laid out for UNITA to demobilize and become a peaceful political party.

In the 1992 elections MPLA-PT got 53.74% of the votes, and got 129 out of 227 MPs.

MPLA-PT is today a member of the Socialist International, and has renounced marxism-leninism.

Major mass organizations of MPLA-PT are:

• Organiza��o da Mulher Angolana (Angolan Womens Organization)
• Uni�o Nacional dos Trabalhadores Angolanos (National Union of Angolan Workers)
• Organiza��o dos Pioneiros de Agostinho Neto (Organization of Pioneers of Agostinho Neto)
• Juventude do MPLA (Youth of MPLA)

See also:

• History of Angola
• Bushwar

ja:アンゴラ解放人民運動 pt:MPLA