The new CNE building, named Margaret Anstte, former United Nations special envoy to Angola to verify the 1992 elections, was built by the Israeli group Mitrelli and is budgeted at over 44 million dollars.
The facilities, built in an area of 10,000 square meters, whose works began in June 2020, also houses 16 offices for the election commissioners, an auditorium, plenary room, president's room and other compartments on the second floor.
"Today we are inaugurating these important facilities that are a source of pride for all of us, it is a great gain for the country, it is a gain for Angolan democracy since for the first time the CNE has decent conditions to carry out its work, a work that we all recognize to be of great importance", said João Lourenço.
Asked about the existence of a tunnel that connects the new CNE facilities to the Presidential Palace, according to the opposition, the President denied, referring that the statements reveal "a great irresponsibility on the part of the politician who made them".
"If he is present among the guests, we would be grateful if he (opposition politician) led us through the tunnel from beginning to end, the invitation is made. no, it is better not to miss this opportunity", said the head of state.
Speaking after inaugurating the new headquarters of the National Electoral Commission, located on the perimeter of the Presidential Palace, in Luanda, João Lourenço said he was "within the legal deadlines" to call the general elections next August.
"It won't happen (the call for elections) before I hold the meeting of the Council of the Republic, so stay tuned, from the moment there is a meeting of the Council of the Republic, it is possible that minutes, hours or days later the elections will be held summoned", said this Thursday João Lourenço when questioned by journalists.
The Constitution and the law "are very clear on the period in which the President of the Republic must call the elections, so they must be called within the 90 days before the end of the current term," he said.
"The end of the mandate ends on September 26 and I am within the deadlines, I can extend it to the maximum, but I will not, as soon as the Council of the Republic meeting takes place, I will call the elections", promised João Lourenço.
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) recently criticized the Angolan President and the MPLA for "delaying the call for elections to take advantage of the electoral campaign".
For João Lourenço, the holding of elections, scheduled for the second half of August, "is always a moment of great challenge", but he considered that "a great challenge does not necessarily have to mean instability".
"Therefore, the message I leave to the Angolan people, especially to political leaders, is that the dispute for elections must be carried out within certain rules, within the framework of civility and that the best person wins, let's all go, and those who are in a position to compete, let's all go to the fight, to the game", he exhorted.
The plenary of the CNE approved "unanimously" on Tuesday the opinion on the existing conditions for holding the general elections, requested by João Lourenço.
The next general elections, the fifth in the country's political history, are scheduled for the second half of August, as established by the Constitution, revised in 2021.
