Angola’s João Lourenço sworn in for a second term as President

Bloomberg | João Lourenço was sworn in for a second term as president of Angola, 3 weeks after he won a disputed election that was challenged by the nation’s main opposition parties.

Lourenço, 68, was sworn in alongside Esperança da Costa, the nation’s first female vice president, at Praça da República square in the capital, Luanda. The ceremony took place beneath a 120-meter high rocket-shaped monument that marks the final resting place of the nation’s first president, António Agostinho Neto.

Hundreds of military officials surrounded the venue of the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by heads of state from several African countries and Portugal.

The ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), garnered 51 percent of the votes and 124 seats in the 220-member parliament in the August 24 election. The main opposition National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), came second with 44 percent, equating to 90 seats. That was UNITA’s best result since the country changed to multiparty elections from a one-party Marxist state in 1992.

UNITA on Wednesday reiterated that it does not accept the outcome of the vote and its representatives did not attend the swearing-in ceremony. Angola’s constitutional court rejected all of UNITA’s legal challenges to the vote.