Angola operates as a highly centralized presidential republic dominated by the MPLA party since independence in 1975. President João Lourenço, in his second term since 2017, holds significant executive authority with limited separation of powers, as the president directly appoints ministers, provincial governors, and judges. While the country maintains a multiparty system with an increasingly vocal opposition (UNITA), democratic institutions remain constrained by executive dominance and ruling party control over state resources.