Costa Júnior meets with senior party leaders for "reflection"

According to a note distributed this Thursday, Adalberto Costa Júnior addressed, with the top leaders of the political formation, issues of the internal life of the party, "as well as the impact of the interests of the international community on the various areas of life in the country".

The former president of the party, Isaías Samakuva, and leaders who competed with Adalberto da Costa Júnior for UNITA leadership in 2019 were present at the "reflection meeting", such as Alcides Sakala, the second most voted candidate, and General Abilio Kamalata Numa, who placed third in the race.

The UNITA summit comes at a time when Adalberto da Costa is facing impeachment in the Constitutional Court for alleged irregularities.

According to the document released by UNITA, the leaders highlighted "the different variants of the great challenge of building a democratic rule of law, taking into account the current reality, marked by worrying setbacks, and the electoral process of 2022".

In recent days, and as the elections draw near, tension between UNITA and the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has increased with frequent exchanges of accusations.

In early August, the MPLA reacted to the announcement of a "Broad Patriotic Front for Alternation", which includes, among other politicians, Adalberto da Costa Júnior, stating that the place of UNITA president is hanging by a thread and considering that the forces opposition members reveal "lack of a sense of state and of respect for democratic institutions."

On Tuesday, the "Black Rooster" party accused the MPLA of "subverting the law in order to perpetuate itself in power", reiterating the legality of the election of its leader, Adalberto Costa Júnior.

The Constitutional Court (TC) received a challenge in May, from an alleged group of UNITA members, who are contesting the current leadership, pointing out alleged irregularities registered at the congress, namely that Adalberto Costa Júnior would have run for leadership without relinquishing Portuguese nationality.

According to the press, the Public Ministry filed, at the beginning of August, with the TC, a challenge to the congress that elected the current leader.

To quell the controversy over the nationality of its leader, the executive secretariat of the permanent committee of UNITA's political commission reacted, as early as May, saying that Costa Júnior "resigned and lost the Portuguese nationality acquired" as measured by the "processes examined" by the Court Constitutional.