"This is a historic initiative by a parliamentary group to accuse and dismiss a President of the Republic", David Sambongo told Lusa this Thursday, considering that the request of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) will fail because it would be A two-thirds majority (148 deputies) is required.
"A qualified majority – which UNITA with only 90 deputies does not have – is needed for this process to be effectively deliberated", he explained.
Sambongo understands that UNITA's proposal only aims to "warm up" national politics: "UNITA as an opposition party is demonstrating some coherence from the point of view of what it presented in the election, not agreeing with the results".
"And he will do everything to ensure that the President of the Republic after the 2022 elections does not have the legs to continue to materialize or carry out his mandate", he stressed.
UNITA presented, on Wednesday, a proposal for an initiative to prosecute and dismiss the President, João Lourenço, for allegedly having "subverted the democratic process in the country and consolidating an authoritarian regime that threatens peace".
The initiative to "impeach" (dismissal) João Lourenço, who is serving his second government term since September 2022, was presented at a press conference by the UNITA parliamentary group.
Doctrinal, political and constitutional foundations and constitute the axes of UNITA's initiative, noting that João Lourenço's governance "is against democracy, against social peace and against national independence".
Crimes of treason and espionage, bribery, embezzlement and corruption, heinous and violent crimes, violation of the CRA that seriously violates the democratic rule of law and the regular functioning of institutions, physical and mental incapacity to continue to hold office and holding an acquired nationality are some of the prerequisites for the removal of the President, according to Article 129 of the Constitution.
David Sambongo agrees with some of UNITA's fundamentals, in this initiative that must be sent to the plenary of the National Assembly, especially in relation to State payments without prior approval from the Court of Auditors (TdC).
"I think that point 7 that UNITA presents of this initiative of indictment and dismissal of the President of the Republic has some relevance because it talks about payments from the State that do not go through the prior approval of the Court of Auditors, which is a legal inspection mechanism", he said.
"And when the President of the Republic does not comply with the principle of legality in making payments in view of the TdC, he effectively incurs a violation, which is why I say that this point is justified", he maintains.
He also pointed out the direct adjustments made by the President of the Republic, considering that João Lourenço uses this hiring mechanism "as a rule and not an exception, as defined by law".
"And it is these aspects or fundamentals of political performance that UNITA presents as the cause of dismissal of the President of the Republic, it is a pity that UNITA does not have a sufficient percentage in parliament to go ahead with this proposal", he stressed.
In the event of being removed, the person who should replace the head of state is the vice president of the Republic (MPLA) or even the president of parliament (MPLA), so "it will not be through a dismissal that the government party leaves of power".
"From the point of view of the Constitution, we have many constitutional traps that the legislator has placed so that the opposition does not have the effective capacity to remove the President of the Republic", concluded David Sambongo.
UNITA deputies emphasize that, as holder of executive power, having defined the country's political orientation, "through which the State was captured by an oligarchy that is directed, maintained and controlled by the President of the Republic", João Lourenço " attacked and continues to attack the dignity of the human person, the achievement of national independence and the construction of social peace and the unity of the nation".
An MPLA source told Lusa that the party should issue a statement this Thursday reacting to UNITA's claim.
