Angolan opposition leader says one-party state is 'big cancer' of society

Locals walk past a billboard with the face of Angola's president and leader of the ruling MPLA party, ahead of elections, in Luanda, Angola, August 21, 2022.REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

LUANDA (Reuters) - The leader of Angola's main opposition party UNITA accused the government on Sunday of establishing an undemocratic one-party state, and said contesting the result of this week's election was not off the table.

Angola is gearing up for a vote on Wednesday that is likely to be the tightest since the first multi-party election in 1992. The MPLA, of current President Joao Lourenco, has governed the country since it won independence from Portugal in 1975.