On the 29th and 30th of September 1992, 91% of the five million registered voters cast their ballots during the first free and democratic elections in Angolan history. In the first round of the elections, Jose Eduardo Dos Santos collected 49.57% of all the votes, while his main rival Jonas Savimbi polled only 40.07% of the votes. The third “historical” candidate – Holden Roberto – failed to get more than 2.11% of the votes. Then the UNITA refused to recognize the choice made by the voters and resorted to armed struggle, without even waiting for the second round of the elections, with the participation of Jose Eduardo Dos Santos and Jonas Savimbi. At that time Angola was already on its way towards peaceful life and national reconciliation, but the decision taken by the UNITA brought the country back into the state of civil war. The military success that the Governmental Armed Forces achieved in 1998 when they liberated several areas earlier controlled by the rebels, made it possible to organize and hold new elections in 2001.