The nine members of the National Assembly (CNE), appointed by the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), one member appointed by the Social Renewal Party (PRS), and another by the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA), were sworn in by the President of the National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira.
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) did not appoint the four members appointed by the parliamentary resolution, contesting the decision and submitting a new precautionary measure to the Constitutional Court (TC) on Wednesday to suspend the inauguration ceremony.
UNITA had already filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court (TC), which was rejected by the court, prompting the political party to file a new appeal to challenge the resolution approving the composition of the CNE.
UNITA believes the aforementioned resolution violates its right to nominate seven citizens to the CNE.
This Thursday, at the start of the plenary session, UNITA member Mihaela Webba intervened, requesting that the item on the inauguration of CNE members be removed from the agenda due to the new action pending before the Constitutional Court.
MPLA member and chairman of the parliament's first committee, António Paulo, urged by the president of parliament to clarify UNITA's request, stated that the Constitutional Court had not notified parliament of the party's new appeal and that the plenary session agenda should not be changed.
The president of parliament thus swore in the 11 CNE members, in a ceremony marked by protests from UNITA members, who chanted in unison "no cheating," "shame on you," "cheaters," and chanted "Angolans first, Angolans second, Angolans always," while MPLA members applauded the newly sworn-in members.
Maria Augusta de Macedo Rodrigues, Manuel Sabonete Camati, Eduardo de Sousa Magalhães, Cremildo José Paca, João Damião, Miguel Tandawembo, Maria de Lourdes Sousa Veiga, Gilberto Saldanha Neto, and Felismina Gando da Silva are the MPLA nominees.
The PRS nominated Adriana Chitula Sepissó, and the FLNA nominated Lucinda Roberto Augusto da Costa to the CNE. The Humanist Party of Angola (PHA) nominee, Onilda Patrícia Camoço Quingongo, was not sworn in because a lawsuit is pending against her nomination in the Constitutional Court.
Carolina Cerqueira wished the new CNE members "success" in their duties.
