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Angolan president announces to quit politics in 2018

Xinhua, March 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Angolan president and leader of the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party Jose Eduardo dos Santos announced on Friday he would quit active politics in 2018.

Eduardo dos Santos, in power for over 36 years, is one of the longest serving leaders in the world.

He made the unexpected announcement at the opening of the 11th ordinary session of the MPLA Central Committee.

The president called for a tighter fight against mismanagement and urged Angolans, entrepreneurs in particular to engage in the production of goods for domestic consumption and export.

The 74-year-old president has served one term under Angola's new Constitution which was approved by the National Assembly in 2010.

According to the new Constitution, the leader of the party with the most seats in the assembly would automatically become the country's president, it also limits the presidential tenure to two terms.

During his rule, dos Santos has devoted to the political and economic reconstruction of Angola and made his country the second-largest oil producer in Africa.

However, he has also been accused of amassing wealth for his family, ignoring the needs of Angolans and leading one of the most corrupt regimes in Africa. Enditem