Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo is seen at his arrival to the
Viru Viru airport, ahead of his attendance at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum Summit, in
Santa Cruz, Bolivia, November 22, 2017.— Reuters
Over 400,000 people registered to vote in the country of around 1.5 million. Voters will also cast
ballots to elect 100 members of parliament for the lower house, 55 of the country's 70 senators,
and local mayors.
The United States and the European Union called for a free and fair election in separate statements
and raised concerns over reports of harassment and intimidation of the opposition and civil
society groups. The government rejected the reports, calling them interference in its electoral
process.
Equatorial Guinea has had only two presidents since its independence from Spain in 1968.
Obiang ousted his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema in a coup in 1979.
Closing his campaign on Friday, Obiang said he decided to bring the presidential election forward
by several months, and hold it together with the legislative and municipal elections, to save money
due to the economic crisis
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