According to these political groups, Angolans "are all aware" that the model for electing the President of the Republic enshrined in the Constitution "is atypical and discriminatory and violates the fundamental rights" of citizens.
If the "profound reflection" of the President of the Republic "had been even more profound", the parties note, the 109th article of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola (CRA), about the model for presidential election, would be one of the first to undergo a very profound revision to consecrate the direct election of the President of the Republic.
"This will of the overwhelming majority of Angolans should be reflected in the new constitutional text," they argue, in a "Joint Political Declaration on the Punctual Constitutional Revision" presented this Wednesday at a press conference.
The tripartite press conference was led by the presidents of the National Union for Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), Adalberto Costa Júnior, of the BD, Justino Pinto de Andrade and by the coordinator of the political project of the Party of Rebirth Angola - Together for Angola - Serve Angola (PRA-JA Serve Angola), Abel Chivukuvuku.
The President announced, last week, a punctual revision of the Constitution with the purpose, among others, of clarifying the mechanisms of political oversight, giving foreign residents the right to vote and eliminating the principle of gradualism in municipalities.
João Lourenço stressed that the details of the proposals, their meaning, scope and rationale will be presented publicly.
"With this proposal for a punctual revision of the Constitution, we intend to preserve the stability of its fundamental principles, adapt some of its norms to the current reality, keeping it adjusted to the political, social and economic context, clarify the mechanisms for political oversight and improve the relationship between the sovereign bodies, as well as correct some insufficiencies," he said.
João Lourenço justified the changes with the need to "preserve national stability and the values" of the democratic rule of law.
The proposed revision of 40 articles of the CRA has already been delivered to the National Assembly.
This Wednesday, the opposition political forces considered that the "atypical Constitution approved by the party-state in 2010 has already fulfilled the political role intended by its main mentor", since, they stressed, it served as the basis for two "widely contested" electoral cycles.
Through the "evolving interpretation", whether of the political oversight to be exercised by the parliament, or the organization and conduct of electoral processes by the electoral administration, they state, "an indirect and silent revision of the CRA has operated, on a practical level.
UNITA, BD and PRA-JA Servir Angola also understand that judging by the articles to be revised, the sense and the reach of the changes to be introduced, the proposals presented by João Lourenço "are insufficient".
The President's initiative, they note, should be considered "not as a limit to the freedom of the constituent legislator," but "an opportunity for Angolans to participate with complementary proposals for the regeneration and revitalization" of the CRA.
"Angolans should not allow themselves to be distracted. The larger objective is the change of government. While the people's deputies discuss the amendments to the Constitution, we must all focus on preventing the punctual revision of the Constitution from becoming a motto for the postponement of elections," they urged.
They also announced, "in the name of reconciliation and nation building," a process of listening to and collecting proposals from the various sectors of society aimed at "realizing the guarantees for the consolidation of participatory democracy."
These political denominations, that publicly presented their second joint position, also reaffirmed their "firm purpose" of continuing to dialogue for the emergence of a "United Patriotic Front" aiming to "materialize the change that Angola cries out for".
