By Paul Simao
LUANDA (Reuters) - The leader of Angola's largestopposition party said on Sunday he was contesting the resultsof the country's parliamentary election because of numerousvoting irregularities in the two-day poll.
"That's right," UNITA leader Isaias Samakuva said at a newsconference when asked if he was challenging the validity of thepoll. He said the voting problems suggested the final resultsmight not "rigorously" reflect the will of the Angolan people.
Preliminary results released by Angola's electoralcommission show the ruling MPLA crushing the opposition.
The MPLA, which has ruled the oil-rich African nation sinceindependence from Portugal in 1975, has taken almost 82 percentof the vote at the national level, the electoral commissionannounced.
The African country's main opposition party UNITA, a formerrebel group, was far behind.
The ruling party was also seen crushing the opposition atthe provincial level on the basis of about 50 percent of thevotes after the two-day poll.
Angola's government has touted the ballot as a showcase forits recovery from civil war after flawed polls elsewhere inAfrica and hopes that it will spur foreign investment. Angolarivals Nigeria as sub-Saharan Africa's biggest oil producer.
Although nobody is predicting a return to fighting, adisputed poll could shake the fragile political stability thathas existed since the end of the 27-year war in 2002.
Voting began on Friday but was extended into Saturdaybecause of delays and confusion at polling stations in Luandaprovince, home to 21 percent of Angola's 8.3 million registeredvoters
UNITA has vowed to challenge the legality of the poll inthe Constitutional Court.
