In a letter addressed to the president of the OAA, Luís Paulo Monteiro, the lawyer mentions that subscriptions were supposedly collected in support of candidacies for the position of president or national councilor of the Order, "without the appointment of the electoral process and the delimitation of the time horizon for that purpose".
According to José Luís Domingos, at issue is a request from the president of the order's Namibe Provincial Council, Olgário Tavares, who in that capacity "interpellated, in writing, several lawyers" in the province, in order to sign a statement of support for the candidates José Carlos João Miguel, national councillor, Correia Vicente Pongolola, also national councillor, and Sebastião Quitumba Vinte e Cinco.
The lawyer points out that the president of the Provincial Council of Namibe in the letter he addressed to several lawyers in the province "claims to have acted at the request of the "candidates" José Carlos Miguel, Correia Pongolola and Sebastião Vinte e Cinco.
"Now, in the light of the OAA statutes and the electoral regulations, without the need for a careful hermeneutic exercise, as I have already said, that is enough to conclude that this subscription request appears to be absolutely illegal, repugnant and demonstrates a lack of democracy on the part of colleagues supposedly involved", underlines José Luís Domingos.
"As well as constitutes a real attack on the dignity of our class, which is the only public association with constitutional seat, for having high responsibilities in the administration of justice and in the implementation of the Democratic State and Law in this country", he added.
The lawyer asked the president of the OAA that a disciplinary process be instituted by the competent internal body, "to determine the truth and the responsibilities of those involved, under penalty of opting for judicial recourse for the restoration of legality and justice", and that, while the process is ongoing, "José Carlos Miguel and Correia Pongolola have their mandates suspended".
"That the remaining provincial councils be urged to report to the respective ethics and discipline commission of the OAA, in case it has happened on the part of the aforementioned 'candidates' or other lawyers illegal acts, which jeopardize the transparency and justice of the next electoral process", appealed.
For José Luís Domingos, "without prejudice to the presumption of innocence, which benefit the colleagues involved" in the process, there are "very serious indications" that, despite aspiring to the highest position of the order, "they would be acting in an obscure way, without any respect for statutes and class".
"And more, if the aforementioned shameful conducts are confirmed, the electoral process in question will already be vitiated, since they would already start the race in an unfair and disgusting situation of advantage", he stressed, considering that if they are confirmed the "serious irregularities" targeted "would be ineligible for the position in question".
