Dos Santos to quit Angola party leadership in September

Mr Jose Eduardo dos Santos. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• MPLA has governed Angola since 1975 when the country got independence from Portugal
• Mr Dos Santos, who was in power for 38 years, had in March 2016, indicated he would quit politics in 2018

By ARNALDO VIEIRA
More by this Author

Former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos will quit the ruling MPLA party's leadership in September, official confirmed..

Mr Dos Santos retained the Movement for the Liberation of Angola presidency when he handed the state leadership to João Lourenço last August.

MPLA last Friday held an extraordinary congress, which approved the candidature of President Lourenço's for the party leadership.

Extraordinary congress

“The political bureau has approved the preparation calendar of its sixth extraordinary congress for the first fortnight of September and Comrade João Lourenço's candidature for its leadership,” the MPLA communiqué confirmed.

MPLA has governed Angola since 1975 when the country got independence from Portugal.

Mr Dos Santos, who was in power for 38 years, had in March 2016, indicated he would quit politics in 2018.

President Lourenço has made several changes, pointing to the dismantling of the old networks that dominated the Angolan economic and political sphere for over three decades.