On Foreign News.
The longest ruling head of state, 80 year old President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equitoral Guinea has indicated interest to run for a sixth term in office.
Amid reports of ruling Equitorial Guinea in an autocratic manner for 43 years, his son has been working with him as the vice president .
The announcement was made by Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, nicknamed “Teodorin”, via his on Twitter handle On Friday .
Obiang Mangue said that the plans for the 80 year old to run again for the November 20 poll as the candidate for the party was unianimously decided by the ruling party because of his charisma, his leadership, and his political experience.
According to report, Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) holds 99 of the 100 seats in the outgoing lower house of parliament and all 70 of the senate seats but it is not clear who would be named as the party’s candidate on the presidential ballot.
Meanwhile, no other candidate has so far been declared.
Obiang seized power in a coup in 1979 that led to the execution of his feared, ruthless uncle and predecessor Francisco Macias Nguema.
The PDGE was the country’s single legal political movement until 1991, when multi-party politics were introduced, but Obiang himself has never officially been re-elected with less than 93 percent of the vote.
Last year, Teodorin seemed to have been lined up to stand in the elections. In the end, however, and to general surprise, he was not chosen as a candidate which has been attributed to a power struggle between Teodorin and certain regime figures who did not want to see the president’s son taking over the reigns.
Teodorin has been sentenced in France to a three-year suspended prison term and a fine of 30 million euros for having fraudulently accumulated luxury properties and goods.
On Tuesday, the small, oil-rich country announced it was bringing forward the presidential vote by five months.
It also said the poll would take place at the same time as parliamentary elections.
They cited the War in Ukraine and the subsequent economic crisis as the reason for holding the costly election together.
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