This effectively limited the franchise to European settlers, most mulattos and a small number of Europeanised Africans (Assimilados).
[2] In May 1972 the Portuguese parliament passed the Organic Law for the Overseas Territories, which provided for greater autonomy for overseas territories; this created a 53-member Legislative Assembly for Angola, of which 32 would be elected, with the remainder nominated by public services, religious groups and business groups.
[3] Elections were held in March 1973, but due to continued restrictions on suffrage, only 584,000 people registered to vote out of a total population of 5,673,046.
José Eduardo dos Santos of the MPLA and Jonas Savimbi of UNITA received the most votes in the first round of the presidential elections, but Savimbi claimed the election had been rigged, despite United Nations observers stating that they had been mostly free and fair.
However, this was abolished by the 2010 constitution, which in Article 109 states that "the individual heading the national list of the political party or coalition of political parties that receives the most votes in the general election shall be elected President of the Republic and Head of the Executive".
They can be disqualified by having an undischarged bankruptcy or criminal conviction, being declared insane, or holding dual nationality.
Members of the government, judiciary and armed forces and chairs of boards of state-owned companies are ineligible for election.