Equatorial Guinea's President all set to extend his 43-year rule in the country

Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the President of Equatorial Guinea, is expected to extend his 43-year rule as the nation goes into elections on Sunday. The country has a population of 1.45 million, and over 400,000 people have registered to vote, Reuters reported.

As per Reuters, people will vote to elect their President, as well as 100 members of Parliament for the lower house, 55 out of the country’s 70 senators and local mayors. The 80-year-old president has always been elected with over 90 per cent of voters voting in his favour. However, international observers have questioned the fairness of the elections given the country’s poor record on the political freedom index.

As per media reports, Obiang is hoping to claim the presidential throne for the sixth time by defeating his two main opponents; Buenaventura Monsuy Asumu, who is running for the sixth time against him, and Andrés Esono Ondo, who is running for the first time.

Senior political analysts in Africa say that the elections in Equatorial Guinea are “completely devoid of suspense”. Maja Bovcon, a senior Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said that the harassment of political opposition in the country is rampant which helps Obiang extend his illegitimate rule over the country.

The United States and the European Union have also raised concerns over reported cases of harassment and intimidation of opposition groups and civil society groups in the country. Equatorial Guinea rejects such claims while labelling their statements as “interference in its electoral process.”

Obiang stormed to power in 1979 by ousting his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema in a coup. As per Reuters, the country has had only two Presidents since Equatorial Guinea’s independence from Spain in 1968.