World's longest-ruling leader holds vote to extend rule of tiny African state - Reuters

DAKAR, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The world's longest-ruling leader, President Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, staged a ballot connected Sunday to widen his 43-year-rule of a tiny, authoritarian African authorities wherever erstwhile plentiful lipid wealthiness has been successful a accelerated decline.

"What you sow is what you reap," said Obiang, 80, who has regularly won much than 90 percent of the ballot successful elections conducted implicit the people of 5 presumption since helium seized powerfulness from his uncle successful a coup successful 1979.

"I americium definite that the triumph is for PDGE," helium said, referring to his party.

Two absorption candidates are standing: Buenaventura Monsuy Asumu, who has already stood successful the erstwhile 5 elections, and Andrés Esono Ondo, an absorption fig moving for the archetypal time.

"It is simply a full fraud," Esono Ondo told Reuters by phone, saying his enactment would situation the effect successful court.

He said immoderate semblance of just voting was taking spot successful the land superior Malabo, but his enactment had grounds that officials elsewhere were casting ballots connected voters' behalf oregon forcing them to ballot for the ruling party.

Government and officials of Equatorial Guinea's predetermination directorate could not beryllium reached for comment.

Maja Bovcon, a elder Africa expert astatine hazard quality institution Verisk Maplecroft, said the predetermination result was successful nary doubt: "The closure of the borders and the harassment and arrests of absorption supporters person been paving the mode for the hold of Obiang's 43-year rule."

The United States and the European Union called for a escaped and just election, and raising interest implicit reports of harassments and intimidation of the absorption and civilian nine groups. The authorities rejected the accusations arsenic interference successful its electoral process.

Closing his run connected Friday, Obiang said helium decided to bring the statesmanlike predetermination guardant by respective months and clasp it unneurotic with the legislative and municipal elections, to prevention wealth owed to the economical crisis.

Oil and state accumulation accounts for astir 3 quarters of revenues successful the OPEC subordinate state. But output has dwindled successful caller years to astir 93,000 barrels per time (bpd), from astir 160,000 bpd successful 2015, arsenic lipid fields mature.

Over 400,000 radical registered to ballot successful the state of astir 1.5 million. Voters volition besides formed ballots to elite 100 members of parliament for the little house, 55 of the country's 70 senators, and section mayors.

Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Cooper Inveen, Frances Kerry, Peter Graff

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