The debate, held by videoconference and promoted by the non-governmental organization Moisaiko, was attended by deputies Mário Pinto de Andrade, of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Mihaela Weba, of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola ( UNITA), the politician Nelson Pestana, the Democratic Bloc, and the jurist and university professor Benja Satula.
The two hours of debate also included Kambolo Tiaka, from the Cazenga in Action Platform, Cássia Clemente, from Mosaiko, and Fernando Sacuaela, from the Agir Project.
Mário Pinto de Andrade said that the municipal legislative package, regardless of the lack of approval of some laws, took place by consensus, in this sense, the MPLA considers that it is on the right track.
"Perhaps the main law, which has to do with the institutionalization of local authorities, but we think that based on the consensus that has been achieved so far, we will also reach this consensus on this issue, which is geographical gradualism or institutional gradualism at the right time. we will get consensus, "he said.
The implementation of municipalities is the main fracturing point between the MPLA and the opposition, which with some sectors of civil society, defend, unlike the Government, their institutionalization simultaneously in the 164 municipalities of Angola.
The first municipal elections were scheduled for 2020, a date that was announced in 2018 by President João Lourenço at a meeting of the Council of the Republic.
For Mário Pinto de Andrade, "the most important thing is that the citizens are waiting for the autarchies, which are necessary so that the local power is closer to the problems of each one and of the citizens in general".
"We have 164 municipalities, there needs to be decentralization and we believe that the municipalities will come, in our opinion, at the right time, and at the right time", he said.
In turn, Congresswoman Mihaela Weba, underlined that the great divergence between the thinking of UNITA and MPLA is in the proposed law on the Institutionalization of Local Authorities, as it is the law that establishes, on the one hand, geographical or territorial, "which we do not accept, which is not in the Constitution".
According to Mihaela Weba, this draft law was strategically left to the end, "because it is known that there is a greater divergence between the two political formations", stressing that all Angolans were expecting the holding of these elections.
"In fact, we were perplexed when the MPLA now comes to say that the agreement it made with the Angolan people was to hold elections in the 2017-2022 term, which means that they will probably want municipalities together with the general elections, which it wouldn't be good, "he said.
Benja Satula, on the other hand, considered that there was "a strategic positioning of the MPLA", trying to "speed up the easiest thing as much as possible" and leave the fundamental point to the end, concluding that "there was some fear that the elections would take place this year".
"If I am told that the elections will not be held in 2020 because of the pandemic, I would even accept and fully agree, but that would only be if we had the last law in the municipal legislative package, not having, my understanding is that the municipalities they will be according to the costume of the ruling party, the MPLA ", he stressed.
In reply, Mário Pinto de Andrade said that the Council of the Republic recommended to the President the preparation of conditions for the realization of the electoral process in 2020, which is not yet created, and it is not possible to hold elections.
The MPLA politician stressed that his political formation has an obligation to hold municipal elections, with the support of all parties and civil society, but the current pandemic context, which has affected Angola since March, "was not possible to reach August and think about holding municipal elections ".
"The MPLA is not afraid to hold municipal elections, even because we have a test, we in the general elections won in 156 municipalities, we are preparing, selecting our future candidates," said Mário Pinto de Andrade, adding that the municipalities in 2022 it was never the party's idea.
For his part, Nelson Pestana said he felt that there was no desire to hold municipal elections this year, when the Angolan head of state said in parliament that "when conditions are created it is the responsibility of the National Assembly".
According to Nelson Pestana, the problem is whether the MPLA "will accept losing the total political hegemony that it has in the country, because until now it has not complied with the ethical referent that is in the Constitution".
