Angolans will get a new president for the first time in 38 years as the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party fronts current defence minister João Lourençoa s its candidate.
Outgoing President José Eduardo dos Santos has been in power since 1979, and is currently Africa’s third-longest serving leader after Cameroon’s Paul Biya and Equitorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Dos Santos will however continue serving as the head of the MPLA, a former liberation movement.
Lourenco has a long history in Angolan politics, with his wife also having served as a minister. He’s promising to diversify the economy if elected.
Both Lourenco and President Dos Santos are confident that the MPLA will win the election, with the former predicting a win by a two-thirds majority.
Earlier this year, the European Union said it had cancelled plans to observe elections after Luanda failed to agree to a number of conditions, including access to all parts of the country during the poll.
