Equatorial Guinea president wins landslide election, again
Equatorial Guinea's incumbent President Teodoro Obiang Nguema won 95.2% of votes cast in a weekend poll, down from 97.1% in 2002. But a grouping of Central African nations (not really known for transparency and democratic good governance themselves) reckons it’s a credible result, despite some failings. Rights groups and a rival candidate don’t think the same, but there’s not much they can do about it. The tiny country of about 700,000 people is one of sub-Saharan Africa's top five oil producers, but most citizens don’t get to see much of the wealth, as Obiang came to power 30 years ago and treats it as his personal fiefdom. He is now set for a further seven-year term, and says he wants to transform the nation into a major energy player, despite mounting human rights concerns. Read more: Reuters, BBC
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