Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Democracy and imperial rivalry in equatorial Guinea

1996; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 23; Issue: 69 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/03056249608704209

1740-1720

Neil Hughes,

Hispanic-African Historical Relations

In the Equatoguinean presidential elections held on Saturday 25 February, the incumbent President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, not surprisingly won an overwhelming victory receiving 99% of the vote. On Malabo Island 99.24% of the 76% turnout voted for Obiang, the candidate for the PDGE (Partido Democratico de Guinea Ecuatorial). In Bata, on the mainland, he received 99.69% of the vote (El Pais, 27 February 1996). This is the third time since coming to power in a bloody coup in 1979 in which he overthrew his uncle, Francisco Macias, that Obiang has attempted to give a semblance of legitimacy to his rule by seeking a popular mandate. In June 1989, in elections in which he was the only candidate, Obiang won 99.96% of the vote. In November 1993 he again won an overwhelming majority following the withdrawal of the opposition parties from the electoral process (Max Liniger-Goumaz, 1996:76).