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History and Government
History: The area now occupied by Equatorial Guinea and the island of Bioko was first colonised by the Portuguese in the late 15th century and developed as a major slave market. In 1788, the territory was handed over to the Spanish, who ran it as a protectorate of Spanish Guinea until 1959, when the colony was granted internal self-government. Full independence followed in 1968. The first decade was blighted by the brutal and incompetent rule of President Macias Nguema. He was overthrown in a military coup led by his nephew, Lieutenant Colonel Teodoro Obiang, in 1979. Initially, conditions improved somewhat, as Equatorial Guinea gained international recognition and aid; it also joined the CFA Franc Zone. Relations with Spain, the former colonial power, remained touchy, as its bilateral aid was made dependent on progress in democratising the political system.
Throughout the 1980s, Obiang maintained his opposition to the establishment of a multi-party system while shoring up his position at home through systematic repression. A democratic constitution was conceded in 1991 and legislative elections held in November 1993. Amid a partial boycott led by the anti-government Combined Opposition Platform, the Obiang-controlled Partido Democratico Guinea Ecuatorial (PDGE) won more than three quarters of the seats. A similar situation prevailed for the presidential elections that followed more than two years later, in February 1996. The three main opposition candidates withdrew and Obiang was elected unopposed. The most recent legislative elections, in March 1999, were yet again boycotted by the bulk of the opposition. The PDGE inevitably won a massive majority.
There has been a steady turnover of governments under the capricious Obiang. The latest was formed by Candido Muatemama Rivas, in February 2001. Exasperated by Obiang’s behaviour, the EU – Equatorial Guinea’s principal source of aid in recent years – has all but given up on the country, which, despite some economic progress during the 1990s, remains desperately poor. This progress was largely the result of the discovery of oil and gas deposits in the Gulf of Guinea. This has had two other important consequences. Firstly, the resolution of a long-standing territorial dispute with Nigeria in September 2000, since when the two countries have begun joint explorations. Secondly, the revival of independence aspirations on the island of Bioko (formerly Fernando Po), which is part of Equatorial Guinean territory and hosts most of the new facilities. The Government’s human rights record remains appalling, as does the extent of its corruption and mismanagement.
Government: The new constitution, approved in a 1991 referendum, allows for the introduction of multi-party politics and an elected presidency and legislature. The President is elected for a seven-year term, while the 80-seat Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (House of People’s Representatives) is elected in multi-member constituencies for a five-year term.
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