World's longest-standing president seeks to extend 43-year rule

Equatorial Guinea votes on Sunday in a general election in which President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, the world's longest-standing president, is expected to extend his 43-year rule at the helm of the tiny oil-producing West African nation, Qazet.az reports according to foreign media.

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.

Observers expect no surprises. The 80-year-old Obiang has always been elected with over 90% of votes in polls whose fairness international observers have questioned given longstanding complaints by rights groups over a lack of political freedom.