President of Angola Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids President of Republic of Angola
Presidential flag
Incumbent João Lourenço since 26 September 2017
Term length	5 years, renewable once
Precursor	Colonial governor of Angola
Formation	11 November 1975
First holder	Agostinho Neto
Deputy	Vice President of Angola
Salary	Kz 640,100/US$ 1,263 monthly
Website	https://governo.gov.ao/ao/

The President of Angola (Portuguese: Presidente de Angola) is the main leader of the country. This person is both the head of state (the symbolic leader) and the head of government (the one who runs the government every day) in Angola.

Since a new constitution was adopted in 2010, the job of prime minister was removed. Now, the president has all the main power to run the country. The president can even make laws by issuing special orders called decrees.

History of the Presidency
- First President: Agostinho Neto
- Angola Becomes a Multi-Party State
How the President is Chosen
- Election Process
- Term Limits for Presidents
Current President
List of presidents of Angola (1975–present)
See also
- Relevant lists

History of the Presidency

The position of president started when Angola became independent from Portugal. This happened on November 11, 1975.

First President: Agostinho Neto

Agostinho Neto became the first president of Angola. His political party, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), took control of the country. When President Neto passed away in 1979, José Eduardo dos Santos took over as president.

Angola Becomes a Multi-Party State

Under President Dos Santos, Angola changed to a system with many political parties. This is called a multi-party state. Even with many parties, President Dos Santos and his party kept most of the power.

In 1992, an election was held, and Dos Santos was re-elected. He won with 49% of the votes. However, his main opponent, Jonas Savimbi from the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) party, said the election was not fair.

How the President is Chosen

The Angolan president is elected by the people. They serve a five-year term, which means they are in office for five years. They can be re-elected only one time after that.

Election Process

The election for president happens at the same time as the election for the country's assembly (like a parliament). Each political party that takes part in the election chooses one person to be their candidate for president. This person's name must be clearly shown on the voting paper.

The candidate from the party that gets the most votes becomes the president. This system is explained in Angola's 2010 Constitution.

Term Limits for Presidents

As of 2021, the Constitution of Angola says that a president can only serve two terms. This means they can be president for a maximum of two five-year periods. So far, no president has reached this two-term limit.

The 2010 Constitution also created the job of vice-president. This person helps the president and takes over if the president cannot do their job.

Current President

João Lourenço is the current president of Angola. He became president on September 26, 2017.

President of Angola facts for kids

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