Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos

BBC

Angola's ruling MPLA party has taken a commanding lead in national elections, with almost 75% of the vote, partial results suggest.

With almost two-thirds of votes counted from Friday's poll, the country's main opposition Unita party garnered about 18%, the electoral commission said.

If confirmed, the results likely mean another term for President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has ruled since 1979.

The polls were the second vote since the civil war ended a decade ago, reports the BBC.

Angola - Africa's second leading oil producer - has witnessed an economic boom since then, but the opposition says the wealth has only benefited a small elite.

A BBC correspondent in Luanda says that despite a tense build-up, the election appeared to run relatively smoothly.

The provisional turn-out was 57%, the electoral commission said.