He is the second longest-serving ruler in Africa after Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, who preceded him in power by just a month.
President dos Santos took over Angola’s leadership on September 20, 1979 following the sudden death from cancer of the country’s founding president and MPLA leader, Agostinho Neto.
Last week the country celebrated National Heroes Day, which also marks the birthday of the founding father, Neto.
After thirty six years there are some lingering suspicions about what caused his death, which occurred in a hospital in Moscow.
The 73-year-old president’s supporters say he is the reason for the stability prevailing in the country.
Mr Joao Pinto, a ruling party MP, described him in a televised debate as “the strategist for Africa” and a leader with “clear-sighted abilities.
His opponents say he is a dictator and that time has come for him to step down.
Early this month, Mr Isaías Samakuva, the leader of the country’s main opposition party Unita, lambasted President dos Santos as the cause of the corruption, bribery and embezzlement afflicting the oil-rich southern African nation.
The president has not given a hint on whether he will stand again for re-election in 2017, nor has he indicated who he will pick as his successor.
Meanwhile, Dos Santos maintains tight control over his nation.
According to Forbes magazine, his family controls a huge chunk of the Angola’s economy.
Isabel dos Santos, his eldest daughter, is Angola’s first dollar billionaire and the richest woman in Africa with a net worth estimated at $3 billion.
His cousin, Manuel Domingos Vicente, serves as the country’s vice-president.
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