UNITA highlighted, in the request presented to the National Assembly, that the Constitution of the Republic establishes that political parties have the right to equal treatment from entities that exercise public power, which did not happen last Saturday when unequal treatment was given to party activities carried out by the MPLA, UNITA and the Democratic Bloc.
The leaders of the three parties spoke in three different cities to mobilize their militants and supporters for the start of the political year, but only the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) rally was broadcast live on Public Television of Angola (TPA).
In the request, UNITA points out numerous anti-democratic practices in recent times and considers that one of the most scandalous practices of abuse of power "is the brutally unequal way in which political forces with parliamentary seats are treated by the State's media".
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) states that "pluralism of expression appears to have simply been banned" and recalls that within the framework of asset recovery that has been carried out by the Angolan State "a set of projects emerging from the TV segment compulsorily passed to the patrimonial sphere of the State, which now holds the monopoly in this segment".
For UNITA, "the media were hijacked by the party in power and journalists are conditioned by the superior orders of the holder of the executive power and his assistants" so the National Assembly – with the MPLA parliamentary majority – must ensure compliance with the laws and the Constitution and approve the protest vote.
UNITA's request was rejected with 78 votes against, 63 in favor and two abstentions.
