The president of Angola's former rebel movement Unita said here Friday that chances are slim of holding democratic elections soon in the war-ravaged country, and accused the government in Luanda of stalling on the issue.

Isaias Samakuva, who was elected president of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) last year, after long-time warlord Jonas Savimbi was killed in battle in early 2002, signalling an end to nearly three decades of civil war, said his movement would continue to press for national polls in September next year.

"But I'm not optimistic regarding elections, although it is one of the key issues in the country," Samakuva told foreign correspondents in Johannesburg.

"The government has unveiled 14 preconditions for upcoming presidential and general elections, most of which we agree with. It is our perception, however, that the government is trying to postpone the elections," he added.

Samakuva said one of the major points of disagreement was the fact that no timetable has been agreed to by the government in Luanda, led by the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

"They talk ... but in practice they show that they are not prepared to hold elections," he added.

Unita believe there is an ‘absolute necessity’ for certain requirements to be filled before elections can be held in the oil-rich southern African state, still struggling to emerge from 27 years of civil war.

These included the clearing of an estimated five-million to ten-million landmines littering the countryside, the rebuilding of bridges and roads, the registration of voters and the return to civilian life of some 80 000 Unita war veterans.

"The last census to be held in the country was 30 years ago, when Portugal was still in control," he said.

The ruling MPLA earlier this month unveiled 14 preconditions for upcoming elections in the country, saying these first had to be fulfilled before any ballot could be held in the vast country.

Norberto dos Santos, the MPLA's information secretary said: "These are preconditions. It does not suffice if some people say they want elections tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

Formed in 1966 by Savimbi, Unita fought the MPLA even before its independence from Portugal in 1975. Later, with the backing mainly from apartheid South Africa, it also battled Cuban and former eastern Block forces.

Fighting claimed an estimated 500 000 lives and thousands of others were maimed, manly civilians losing limbs to landmines.

Samakuva said even though sanctions against the former rebel group – including those imposed by the US in 1993 – had been lifted, the movement found itself in dire financial straits and was now solely dependent on a grant from the government.

He denied however that movement, which at one time controlled large tracts of the Angolan countryside, gained most of its income from diamond mines under its control.

"A lot of our money did not come from diamonds," Samakuva said.

"We also levied a 30 percent tax on all goods coming in and going out (of areas under our control). We used to make four million dollars a week."

The last general elections in the Angola took place in 1992, which temporarily halted the war, but fighting resumed in the wake of the poll and a second round of voting never took place. – Sapa-AFP.