Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Categories: 1942 births | Angolan politicians | Cold War people | Presidents of Angola | Angola | Current national leaders
José Eduardo dos Santos
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| Became President: | September 10, 1979 |
| Predecessor: | Agostinho Neto |
| Date of Birth: | August 28, 1942 |
| Place of Birth: | Luanda |
José Eduardo dos Santos (born August 28, 1942) is the current President of Angola.
He became president in 1979, succeeding the founding president Agostinho Neto. He was seen as rather a strongman, but received a large share of the vote in Angola's first multi-party election in 1992. He did not quite receive a majority; but the UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi withdrew from the race before the second round, leaving him technically interim president.
He announced in 2001 that he will step down at the next presidential election, provided that peace can be achieved. In December 2003, however, he was reelected as head of the MPLA, and it is widely believed that he will be the party's candidate in the next elections, which may be held in 2006.
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