More than 20 young activists say they were not allowed to arrive near the south gate of the National Assembly, the main entrance, where they wanted to concentrate in protest against the electoral law being discussed by the specialty committees.
This Monday, contrary to previous days, the national police set up an extensive security cordon around the perimeter of the National Assembly and adjacent places, including cavalry brigade and plainclothes agents.
Two hundred meters from the main entrance of the headquarters of the National Assembly, in Luanda, the media witnessed the detention of several people and actions of searches and questioning, especially of young people who circulated there.
Citizens who passed by deplored the arrests of several activists considering that the corporation was giving a "very ugly image" to society.
In statements to journalists, the young activist Joaquim Manuel condemned the interdiction of the march of demonstrators who were heading to the seat of parliament, complaining of some "petulance" by police officers on the spot.
"The police are once again interdicting our march, we intend to reach the southern gate of the National Assembly to be able to carry out our demonstration that aims to demand our deputies to vote a fair law that can guarantee transparent elections in our country", said Joaquim Manuel.
But "in fact", he indicated, "the police are already here in a petulant way and even one of the agents tried to shoot against us", stressed the activist.
The activist Nelson Adelino Dembo "Gansgta", who was also prevented from arriving in front of the National Assembly, classified the pressure and the police obstruction as a systematic violation of the fundamental rights of citizens.
"We are being stopped at a distance of almost 200 meters, so this is against what is legitimized by the Constitution, there is a systematic violation, imagine if in three hundred meters we are already stopped, what does it mean what is going to be approved there", questioned the activist.
Deputies are discussing this Monday, in the specialty commissions, the draft law amending the Organic Law on General Elections, an initiative of the parliamentary group of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA, in opposition), the draft law amending the Organic Law on General Elections, an initiative of the parliamentary group of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, in power) and the draft law amending the Official Electoral Registration Law, an initiative of the MPLA.
The discussion of these diplomas has merited heated debates among the deputies, who are seeking consensus with a view to the general elections foreseen for 2022.
For the activist Gangsta, the approval of electoral laws translates into the "approval of the future" of Angola: "But a manipulated future, and one that will set up or fit within that framework of the policy of maintaining power, that is the only goal.
"Because if we can implement the PIIM (Integrated Plan of Intervention in the Municipalities) at the level of the municipalities, why can't we count the votes at the level of the municipalities?", the activist further questioned.
Police officers remain in large numbers in front of the parliament building and on the main access roads and secondary roads surrounding the building.
