Book reveals tensions between José Eduardo dos Santos and João Lourenço

A controversy between former Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos and João Lourenço, before and after the general elections of 2017, has been described in book, whose author expects the elections of 2027 to take place in tranquility.

“The Succession, Bicephaly and Other Stories” is the title of the work by journalist Luís Costa that addresses the nuances of cohabitation between José Eduardo dos Santos (former Angolan president and MPLA) and João Lourenço, his successor since 2017.

According to the author, the book, which will be presented on Friday, in Luanda, signals as the center of the narrative the statement made at the time by Lopo do Nascimento, a militant historical of the People's Movement of Liberation of Angola (MPLA, in power).

Suspecting that José Eduardo dos Santos, who was President of Angola for 38 years, between September 21, 1979 and September 26, 2017, wanted to continue to lead the party after the general elections of 2017, Lopo do Nascimento “advertised to what seemed to his eyes a bad step,” the author recalled.

Costa emphasized that the book exposes nuances of cohabitation between José Eduardo dos Santos and João Lourenço (his successor and President of Angola and MPLA since 2017) before and after the election, “during many years harmonious, cold sometimes, and competitive many others”.

Luís Costa recalls, in the book, that in December 2017, “three times in a week, although they were not separated by a board, José Eduardo dos Santos and João Lourenço acted as if they were in a chess game.”.

And he adds: “The speeches and positions taken by the two in this period, not only show some differences, but also reveal motivations and the veiled intention, both of them, to impose themselves as a political authority above all,” the author noted.

To Lusa, Luís Costa reiterated that the book addresses the succession process of 2017, which led João Lourenço to succeed José Eduardo dos Santos, who died in Spain on July 8, 2022, victim of illness, in a process wrapped in controversy between his children, his wife and the government.

Angola holds general elections in 2027 and João Lourenço, who fulfills the last year of his second term, is prevented by the Constitution from reapplying. Lourenço is, however, a unique candidate for the leadership of the MPLA at the December Congress.

In a pre-election year, Luís Costa expects the next general elections of 2027 to take place in normality: “I hope, above all, that elections go well.”.

“ We are a year away from the elections, we do not know how the economy will behave, and the only candidate we know at this time is Adalberto Costa Júnior [President of UNITA, largest party in the opposition]. We do not know who will be the candidate of MPLA and other parties and this can change the options ", highlighted.

He argued that, for the smoothness and transparency of the elections of 2027, all competitors must have the opportunity to be in all voting assemblies and “everyone must be able to scrutinize under the same conditions”.

“ I think this is the basis for free and fair elections, accepted by everyone, to have equal access to the media, it makes a lot of difference,” he said.

Luís Costa also revisits in this work cases that highlighted the role of the various powers that gravitated around José Eduardo dos Santos.