Senior government members from Foreign Minister João Miranda to the Secretary General of the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola João Lourenço to Dos Santos himself have consistently repeated the message to the armed UNITA rebels: lay down your arms come to Luanda and enter politics and there will be no retribution...
Candidates in contention will include the frontrunner and Dos Santos' choice MPLA Secretary General João Lourenço; tough Interior Minister Fernando Piedade dos Santos 'Nando'; and Western-friendly reformist former MPLA Secretary General Lopo do Nascimento...
First is MPLA Secretary General João Lourenço...
He was quickly dressed down by MPLA Secretary General João Lourenço...
The MPLA's powerful Secretary General João Lourenço severely criticised what he called the 'false prophets' of peace...
His resolve seems to have stiffened perhaps because of the Pinochet factor (the risk of facing trial in retirement) perhaps by signs that rivals notably João Lourenço were trying to groom themselves to take over...
MPLA General Secretary João Lourenço now being tipped for the succession will come under greater scrutiny...
João Lourenço head of the MPLA parliamentary caucus and Information Secretary leads the government's propaganda efforts...
João Lourenço the MPLA's spokesperson is kept busy managing crises and defending party unity...
