Speaking at the opening of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers that analyzed the impact of covid-19 in the country, João Lourenço addressed the issue of combating corruption, a flag he raised during the electoral campaign.
“The fight against corruption in Angola is a reality, in fact, and easy to see on a daily basis, through the actions of citizens, the Public Ministry and the courts, all over the country, not only to fight possible criminal acts, which will have already been committed, as well as to prevent them from happening today or tomorrow, if society is not very vigilant ”, he said.
According to João Lourenço, this fight is being carried out “with determination, a sense of justice and the necessary impartiality, which guarantees that there is no persecution, on the one hand, nor protected, on the other”.
“The competent authorities will not back down in their determination to carry out the fight against corruption and impunity, to hold criminal presumed criminals accountable and to recover the illegally acquired assets that have damaged the Angolan State, no matter where they are, in Angola and abroad ”, He asserted.
The head of state explained that “this objective is achieved through work, patience and some discretion, where the most important thing is to let the competent authorities do their work and present to the public, not the steps that have been taken over time. this part, but the end result of this work.
“On this matter of asset recovery, the State is not sleeping, it is working hard and we are optimistic that we will be successful”, guaranteed João Lourenço.
The postponement of the first municipal elections was also addressed by the head of state at the opening of the meeting, asking the councilors for reflection on the matter.
"The truth is that we have not yet managed to carry them out," said the President, acknowledging that there is a consensus on the need to establish local autarchic power, through legal support.
João Lourenço recalled that, in March 2018, at a meeting of the Council of the Republic, he expressed his intention to hold municipal elections this year, with the executive from then on beginning the preparation of the municipal legislative package, which he submitted to parliament for approval.
"We recognize all the effort made by the National Assembly to approve part of the municipal legislative package, but, without necessarily pointing the blame, we agree that not everything is done, the work is not yet finished," he said.
For João Lourenço, it is not possible in a democratic and legal state to hold any kind of elections without legal support. "In this regard, I invite the Council of the Republic once again to reflect on this important issue", he stressed.
