Angolan President Lourenco to run for second term

Angolan President Joao Lourenco has formalized his candidacy for a second term at the helm of the country’s ruling party, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

Lourenco, also chairperson of the MPLA, is believed to meet more than enough conditions for the endorsement of all his party members, said Pedro Neto, the president’s representative.

“We have collected a very large number of signatures,” Neto said. “I believe that the same will happen in the election process.”

The party statutes and regulations state that candidates for the MPLA chairperson must have been active for no less than 15 years and present up to 2,000 signatures, of which at least 100 must be from each of the country’s 18 provinces.