( CNN ) -- Angola 's ruling party was declared the winner of weekend elections Sunday after taking nearly three-quarters of the vote . With about 85 % of the boxes counted , the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola ( MPLA ) had 73 % of the nearly 4.9 valid votes cast , according to figures from the country 's National Electoral Commission . The MPLA 's nearest rival , the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola ( UNITA ) , trailed far behind with 18 % . Seven other parties split up the rest of the vote . The win means a new term for President Jose Eduardo dos Santos , who has held power since 1979 , the state-run Angola News Agency reported . Under the terms of a constitution approved in 2010 , the leader of the party that won Friday 's parliamentary vote automatically becomes Angola 's president . Friday 's election was only Angola 's third since it gained independence from Portugal in 1975 . The country was wracked by civil war for the next 27 years , and the vote was widely viewed as an indicator of the country 's progress after a decade of peace . Elections in 1992 were abandoned midway and led to an outbreak of further violence . The MPLA won a 2008 parliamentary vote with a landslide 82 % , with UNITA , its former civil war enemy , the leading opposition in the 220-seat National Assembly . UNITA saw its share of the vote nearly double from the 10 % share it won in 2008 . The movement has alleged fraud in previous elections and voiced concerns about apparent irregularities in election campaigning this time around . But on Saturday , UNITA spokesman Alcides Sakala said his party would recognize the election results , the ANA reported . They include the scheduling of the vote only three days after a public holiday for the president 's birthday , questions about voter rolls , and `` what seems like a concerted effort by certain security forces to tell people in rural areas that if they do not vote for the ruling party , the country will be back to war , '' said Domingos Jardo Muekalia , UNITA 's deputy secretary for external relations , speaking at the Chatham House think tank in London . In 1992 and 2008 , there were `` substantial irregularities -- some intentional such as manipulation , fraud and intimidation and others resulting from inexperience , '' he said . Human Rights Watch also accused the government of `` numerous incidents of political violence , intimidation of protesters , and crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations , '' in a report issued on August 1 . `` The human rights environment in Angola is not conducive for free , fair and peaceful elections , '' said Leslie Lefkow , deputy Africa director for the rights monitoring group . `` The Angolan government needs to stop trying to stifle peaceful protests , gag the independent press or use the state media for partisan purposes if these elections are to be meaningful , '' Lefkow said . Angola , sub-Saharan Africa 's second-largest oil producer , pumps out more than 1.9 million barrels per day and boasts an expanding investment portfolio in its former colonial power , Portugal , and in other parts of Africa . But despite big spending on infrastructure and social programs since the end of its brutal civil war in 2002 , corruption , poor governance and economic inequality remain serious issues for much of the country 's population of about 18 million . Angola ranked 168th out of 183 countries on Transparency International 's 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index , and was 148th out of 187 countries in the U.N. 's Human Development Index . A number of small but consistent demonstrations have taken place in Angola since last year , revealing a growing frustration with the economic hardship that many still face in the country . Over the last few months , civil war veterans have taken to the streets to demand overdue subsidy payments , and disgruntled youths and civil rights activists have staged rallies to voice their concerns about the lack of jobs and opportunities . The protracted civil war killed up to 1.5 million people , according to the CIA World Factbook . About 4 million people were internally displaced , more than half of them children , the United Nations said . After peace was established , the country faced the challenge of reestablishing civil institutions , rebuilding damaged infrastructure , clearing land mines and demobilizing large numbers of former fighters . Opinion : Is oil-rich Angola a development success ?
Angola 's ruling MPLA took 73 % of the vote , the National Electoral Commission reported . Jose Eduardo dos Santos will hold the presidency he 's now held for three decades . Friday 's vote was only the third election since Angola 's independence . The first two were rigged by a group called UNITA, which is still in power today and has been accused of human rights abuses against its own people.