His absence is also causing problems in Angola's highly centralised government and unsettling the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola as it campaigns for his would-be successor João Lourenço in the 23 August general elections (AC Vol 58 No 13 The ghost of elections past)...
Vol 58 No 15 |
- CONGO-KINSHASA
It remains to be seen what position the expected new President and current Defence Minister General João Lourenço will take after Angola's elections next month...
Although João Lourenço is the MPLA candidate Dos Santos will remain leader of the MPLA...
João Lourenço the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola's candidate to succeed President José Eduardo dos Santos was claiming under banner headlines in the heavily government-influenced mass media that the fight against corruption would be a top priority (AC Vol 57 No 25...
Amid all the talk of the quiet Defence Minister João Lourenço taking over as head of the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola it is often forgotten that President José Eduardo dos Santos remains state President and MPLA leader until after next year's elections...
MPLA-watchers with long memories recalled an incident in 2001 involving ironically João Lourenço...
At its first meeting the new Central Committee elected João Lourenço as vice-president...
A growing consensus however among senior party leaders now holds that Dos Santos will not stand as the party candidate next year leaving João Lourenço to take that spot with a family member probably Zenu or Isábel as vice presidential candidate...
Defence Minister João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço looks to be the strongest candidate to replace Vicente whom the party has often criticised (AC Vol 52 No 22 The succession players)...
João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço appointed Defence Minister in April to be next in line for the succession...
Within the MPLA the names to look out for joining the Vicente team include António Pitra Neto João Lourenço and António Paulo Kassoma...
That was the experience of former MPLA Secretary General João Lourenço now Vice-President of the National Assembly and former MPLA Vice-President António Pitra Neto now Minister of Labour and a businessman...
Names floated include Pitra Neto João Lourenço Kassoma or Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos ‘Nando' the former Vice-President and current President of the National Assembly who has a footprint in the army police and intelligence services...