In August, Angola will elect a new Parliament and a new President. It is the end of an Era: The seriously ill, long-time President José Eduardo dos Santos no longer occurs. Change is a lot of still do not.
The opposition party UNITA has no Chance to take Power
José Eduardo dos Santos, after Equatorial guineas long-time ruler Teodoro Obiang – Africa’s longest-serving President. 38 years ago, he took over the business of the government. When he came in 1979 to Power, Angola is made up of just four years, regardless. It is a bitter civil war is raging between the government party MPLA and the other two liberation movements, UNITA and FNLA. Elections are held only in 1992. The go – like all the following, votes – in favor of dos Santos and his party. The Opposition criticized the lack of equal opportunities, and speaking of electoral fraud. International observers recognize the results, but each and every Time.
dos Santos steps off, his party remains
This time a total of six parties are competing for seats in the Parliament in Luanda. The head of state is elected indirectly. The first candidate on the list of the party that receives the most votes automatically becomes President. José Eduardo dos Santos, it will not be. He has announced his resignation. The last MPLA party Congress kührte João Lourenço, to the new strong man of the party. There is little doubt in Angola, he is after the elections, also the President.
The Opposition shall also apply in these elections as a chance. “This time, it’s not enough for the Opposition,” says the Journalist José Adalberto in the DW-interview. There is enough dissatisfaction among the voters so that the Opposition of the government party might lose a few votes. But: “The Opposition is fragmented and has no strong leadership. She also seems to not be able to get their messages understandable to get across,” says Adalberto to DW.
Opposition politicians Ntu does not see equal opportunities in the election campaign
“Of equal opportunities you can’t talk, unfortunately, also in 2017,” says Teka Ntu. His party, the APN was established two years ago. “All parties are the same, but the government party MPLA is the same. It was always like that,” he says. Ntu is the APN for foreign policy, lives for over 10 years in the German city of Essen. For the campaign he has taken an extra vacation. Many of the opposition parties, it simply is a lack of money, to be able to in the election campaign, the MPLA compete. You have no money for advertising, for the journeys of candidates and supporters to election rallies or for gifts to potential voters.
“It is very sad that the Opposition could win in the previous election, not even 50 out of 220 parliamentary seats,” says Ntu in the DW-interview. “What we have at the moment is to be terminated in a parliamentary dictatorship, and the need to,” he says.
Speculation as to the state of health of the outgoing President
José Adalberto is DW correspondent in Huambo, the second largest city of Angola. The kick-off event of the government party will be held this Tuesday (25.07.2017). In an interview with DW Adalberto describes the extensive preparations. There is a huge stage, the party got the money to cart around thousands of people to the event. Officers get free. There are flags, free beer, Live music and, finally, the appearance of the top candidate: Minister of defense, João Lourenço, the new strong man.
Not only one will probably make it to Huambo: the previous President, José Eduardo dos Santos. He was very sick and much too weak, believe observers. Have it on good authority wants to know the Portuguese weekly newspaper Expresso, that in the environment of the Angolan leadership is seriously Worried about his life.
João Lourenço is to be Angola’s new President
For years, dos Santos swings back and forth between a Spanish private clinic and Luanda. The distances are getting shorter and shorter. Of a cancer the speech is suffering. In the last week, dos Santos travelled to Luanda. However, according to Expresso, he is not expected back again in a few days in Barcelona.
“If the President, in fact, something were to happen, then it hits the MPLA off guard,” says the Journalist José Adalberto. The MPLA party leadership had taken care of everything. João Lourenço was already intended to be the successor. The party would cope with a possible death of the President during the election campaign as “good”.
Other observers see the situation differently: There could be a dispute about Power and important Posts. Because José Eduardo dos Santos has been busy in the last few years, all the important positions in the state and in the many state-owned companies, with people you trust. The especially family members. His daughter, Isabel dos Santos heads the state Oil company, Sonangol. His son manages the state oil Fund. All the high Posts in police, army and intelligence services were also busy with people from the President’s grace.
The new President must accept the decisions of the predecessor
The Post you should be able to keep, if dos Santos makes the Power. A new, in the last Parliament session by gepeitschtes law provides that personnel decisions of the outgoing President cannot be touched. The law was passed with a large majority. Only the two larger opposition parties UNITA and CASA-CE, who voted against it. But only 40 of a total of 220 members.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaEngineer in the petrochemical industry
At the age of 19, José Eduardo dos Santos of the MPLA. The Marxist-inspired movement fighting for the liberation of Angola from the Portuguese colonial rule. In 1963, dos Santos was awarded a scholarship and studied Petro-chemistry Baku, then part of the Soviet Union. In the USSR he is bildert also in military communications technology. In 1970 he returned to Angola.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaForeign Minister Neto
After independence from Portugal in 1975, a civil breaks out in Angola, the war between the three independence movements MPLA, UNITA and FNLA. The capital Luanda is controlled by the MPLA. Party leader Agostinho Neto (photo) becomes the first President of the country and installed a one-party regime. Dos Santos is the first Foreign and later Minister of Planning.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaAlliance with the Eastern bloc
In September 1979, Neto dies in Moscow. Ten days later, dos Santos of the MPLA will be chosen as the new President of Angola. He strengthens the Alliance with the Communist countries in the so-called Eastern bloc, like the USSR, Cuba or East Germany. In 1981, dos Santos visited the GDR, and is received by the Secretary-General of the Socialist unity party, the SED, Erich Honecker (left in the picture).
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaDivided world: the West against the East
During his stay in the GDR dos Santos in 1981, visited the Brandenburg gate and the Berlin wall. Both are symbols of the Cold war and the separation of the world into East and West. In Angola, a “Hot war”, a proxy war, from the Cold war but has become, in The West, especially South Africa and the United States support UNITA. The East relies on the MPLA.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaSide-by-side with Cuba
Especially Cuba, the military pressure on MPLA government under the arms. 40.000 Cuban soldiers fighting in Angola, for example, in 1988 in the Cuito Canavale. The battle is one of the largest of the war. Three years later, signed in Portugal, a first peace Treaty.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaMore war, despite the peace Treaty
In consequence of the agreement in 1992 held the first elections. The MPLA receives the majority in the Parliament. Dos Santos creates but not an absolute majority in the first ballot of the presidential elections. The necessary runoff against Jonas Savimbi, the UNITA leader, never. The war breaks out again, because the UNITA talks fraud of the election and refuses to recognize elections.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaThe West loses interest
After the end of the Cold war, the West loses interest in the civil war in Angola. The United States to recognize the MPLA government in 1993. This is increasingly capitalist. With the end of Apartheid in South Africa, the UNITA loses its most important ally. In 1994 another peace agreement. Also, this fails. Dos Santos is now fully on the military map.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaAlliance with Kabila in the Congo
In the Congolese civil war in Angola, and the military, from 1998, Laurent-Désiré Kabila (photo) comes to the rescue. Dos Santos ensures that Kabila can be President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So he can take the UNITA one of their refuges. In addition, Angola has established itself as a leading military power in southern Africa.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaTotal victory over Savimbi
An international arms embargo weakens the UNITA, which is internationally isolated. 22. February 2002, soldiers from the government army manages to kill the leader of UNITA, Jonas Savimbi (photo). In the same year, UNITA and the MPLA government to conclude a peace agreement. One of the bloodiest civil wars in Africa with one Million dead and four million refugees.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaThe remains of the war
Many years after the end of the war, all over the country, still destruction is visible, as in this picture from 2009. After the war, the military, the generals, and especially the presidential guard remain the centre of power to the Angolan President. In the North of the country, it comes in the enclave of Cabinda to today’s military to Fight with the separatist group FLEC.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaElections, postponed and cancelled
Even though they were actually planned for 1997, will be held the second parliamentary elections in the history of Angola only in 2008. The MPLA won 81.6% of the votes, the UNITA gets 10.4 percent. There are complaints that voters were intimidated and that the elections have been poorly organised. In 2009, a promised presidential elections do not take place. Dos Santos remains in Power.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaDifficult Partner
In 2011, the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, Angola visited. German entrepreneurs are highly interested to invest in Angola. However, only few projects will be actually implemented in the following years. Angola remains for Germany to be a difficult Partner. Only a few companies dare to take the step in the South African country.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaSuppression of the Opposition
Inspired by the Arab spring, young people demonstrating as of 2011, against dos Santos. The protests are suppressed by police brutality, activists arrested and convicted. In 2013, the presidential guard shoots and kills two members of the opposition. Members of the Adventist sect “A Luz do Mundo” to be brutally persecuted. Human rights activists accuse the police of extra-judicial killings.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaFinally chosen, but only indirectly
In 2010, the Parliament will change the Constitution and abolish direct presidential elections. President of the top candidate of the list with the most votes in the parliamentary elections. The elections in 2012 to win the MPLA, with 71.9 per cent. After 32 years in office, dos Santos has for the first time democratic legitimacy. Observers criticize the Opposition have had in the elections is not a fair Chance.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaFamily man
In addition to the military, the family is the second centre of power to José Eduardo dos Santos. He was married several times. Current wife Ana Paula dos Santos (photo), a former model. He met her when she was a Stewardess in the President’s plane. The Couple married in 1991 and has four children. In the elections of 2017, Ana Paula dos Santos is a candidate as a member of Parliament for the MPLA.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaDaughter Isabel is the richest woman in Africa is
From dos Santos’ first marriage with Tatiana Kukanova, a Russian chess champion, a native daughter, Isabel. It was by means of a telecommunications license for your company Unitel, the richest woman in Africa. From his second marriage with Filomena de Sousa, who worked in the Ministry of foreign Affairs, as dos Santos was there, Minister, a native son, José Filomeno. He is head of the state investment Fund.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaPartnership with China
China is the new favorite Partner of dos Santos. The country is the main buyer of Angolan oil, and forgive billions in loans to Angola in order to support infrastructure projects. With the money, Chinese companies are building whole neighborhoods, such as Kilamba Kiaxi (photo) in Luanda. In contrast to the IMF and Western lenders, China has no requirements of transparency or human rights.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaPoverty despite wealth
Despite the oil billions, many Angolans still live in extreme poverty. The country has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. In the midst of the capital, Luanda you can find a quarter without wastewater disposal. Many of the health services for the poor is priceless, because they are only offered privately. The education system is also deemed to be under-developed.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaDiscretion is his brand
Dos Santos is discrete known to Occur. Interviews or press conferences with him have rarity value. He also keeps only a few Talk. In the past few years, traveled dos Santos regularly for a week to Barcelona in Spain, where health treat. His tenure of 37 years is surpassed in Africa, only Teodoro Obiang in Equatorial Guinea.
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José Eduardo dos Santos: the “eternal” President of AngolaAnnounced The Successor To
After dos had not announced Santos to stand in the August 2017 elections, has named the MPLA defence Minister, João Lourenço as the top candidate for the parliamentary elections and, thus, as his probable successor. Dos Santos remains party leader and will therefore have more political influence.
“This law that the President leaves here, has caused a lot of controversy,” says the Journalist José Adalberto. The ability to act of the new President to be limited thereby. “João Lourenço is General, he will want his own personnel decisions to make in terms of military intelligence and police leadership,” says Adalberto.
The election campaign has begun. The ruling party, the MPLA promises, especially the impoverished and the frustrated youth, the creation of 500,000 new jobs. The opposition party UNITA promises the introduction of a minimum wage in the amount equivalent to US $ 500 per month. The CASA-CE wants to reform state and local elections.
All parties to demand a fair and above all peaceful election campaign. Nevertheless, there were already incidents: On weekends, a 17-year-old near the capital city of the police was shot on the run. His Offense: he had lit a MPLA flag.