According to the spokesman for the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST), Belmiro Chissengueti, during the work of the II Plenary Assembly of bishops, which ended this Monday, the issue of the President's dismissal was not addressed.
"CEAST did not comment on this issue, we do not aim at reaching political power, therefore this is an issue of the entire responsibility of the political parties in their natural dispute that they must carry out within the scenario in which they are involved, therefore it is not an integral part of the our concern," he replied.
Speaking at a plenary press conference, Bishop Belmiro Chissengueti noted, however, that "regardless" of who is governing the country, citizens "owe respect to the President of the Republic, but they are also entitled to make observations".
"Regardless of who is governing the country, and in this case it is President João Lourenço, we as citizens owe him respect as a high entity of the State, but he also has our observations", he said.
He also defended that, as citizens, since the President of the Republic "presides over what belongs to everyone", therefore, he stressed: the head of state "is the President and not the owner, we are the owners".
"And we have the right to citizenship that allows us to make observations for the better management of what belongs to all of us. And therefore, the issues of direct politics do not concern our functioning or our tasks", concluded the also bishop of Cabinda.
At least 86 deputies from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) signed, on 16 August, during a public ceremony, the initiative to remove the President and for the leadership of this party "the legal conditions are fulfilled" for the beginning of dismissal process.
UNITA alleges that the President "subverted the democratic process in the country and consolidated an authoritarian regime that threatens peace" and therefore must be removed.
Doctrinal, political-constitutional and political performance foundations constitute the axes of UNITA's initiative, made public last July, referring that João Lourenço's governance "is against democracy, against social peace and against national independence".
The parliamentary group of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) reaffirmed, in the first half of August, "its unconditional support" for its leader, guaranteeing "loud and clear" that there will be no dismissal of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.
The position was expressed in parliament by the leader of the MPLA parliamentary group, Virgílio de Fontes Pereira.
"The MPLA parliamentary group reaffirms, here and now, its unconditional support for President João Lourenço, and declares loud and clear, there will be no dismissal of the President of the Republic João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, democratically elected by the majority of Angolans, period", said Fontes Pereira.
