Luanda, ANGOLA, January 17 - The daughter of Angola’s ex-president Isabel dos Santos' intention to run for president of Angola cannot be through the ruling MPLA, but with another political force, the secretary for Political and Electoral Affairs of that party, Mário Pinto de Andrade, said on Thursday.,

The politician made the statement during a press conference, while reacting on the possibility expressed by Isabel dos Santos of running for president of Angola, in an interview she granted to the Portuguese Radio and Television channel (RTP).

 

According to the public daily newspaper Jornal de Angola, Mário Pinto de Andrade clarified that the statutes of the MPLA party determine that the president of the party is, automatically, the natural candidate to the presidential elections.

 

"If she wants to take her father's place (José Eduardo dos Santos, former president of the Republic of Angola), I believe it will not be through MPLA," said the politician.

 

The leader of the largest Angolan party highlighted that the Constitution of the Republic of Angola establishes, in the framework of the political system, that a citizen, to be a candidate for president needs the support of a political party.

 

In his turn, Adalberto da Costa Júnior, leader of the country’s main opposition party UNITA, said it is “not a big thing” if Isabel dos Santos has conditions to run for presidential elections in 2022, adding that there is not much time left" for the elections to take place and that he is not aware of Isabel dos Santos's motivations, but if her candidacy meets the constitutional standard, “so be it".

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