“ Obiang took power in a 1979 coup in which then President Francisco Macias Nguema, his uncle, was assassinated by a firing squad. Under pressure from Western backers, Obiang held the first multiparty elections in 1991 and has won every election since, most recently in 2002 with 91 percent of votes. New elections are scheduled for Nov. 29. Opponents say the electoral process and voting are rigged in his party’s favor.
November 4, 2009
