Opposition formalizes United Patriotic Front next week

The announcement was made this Wednesday by Adalberto Costa Júnior, in statements to the press, at the end of a meeting led by Abel Chivukuvuku, general coordinator of the PRA-JA Servir Angola political movement, which also included Filomeno Vieira Lopes, leader of the Democratic Block.

"The United Patriotic Front will be formalized next Tuesday", announced the leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), stressing that "it is the culmination of a long process of negotiation, of conversations".

According to Adalberto Costa Júnior, the fundamental documents are finished, thus being "in conditions to meet the enormous expectations that all Angolans have."

Adalberto Costa Júnior also sent to Tuesday the announcement of the name of who will be at the head of the Patriotic Single Front.

At the meeting of the provisional national Steering Committee of the PRA-JA Angola political project, which was attended by more than 250 members from all provinces, the patriotic usefulness, feasibility and modalities of their participation were appreciated and decided "in the search for alternation of the political power in Angola" of the United Patriotic Front.

The members approved the principle of adhesion of PRA-JA Servir Angola to the United Patriotic Front, having approved, with amendments, the memorandum of understanding and the Agreement on the principles and rules of operation of the United Patriotic Front.

The provisional steering committee also approved the principle of flexibility depending on any subsequent adjustments, "having congratulated and congratulated the original partners of the tripartite, in the people of Adalberto Costa Júnior and Justino Pinto de Andrade, who for about two years interacted with the board of the political project PRA-JA Serving Angola, led by Abel Chivukuvuku for a new vision, a new patriotic project and a new ambition for Angola".

In his speech, Adalberto Costa Júnior stressed that the consultation made to the members of PRA-JA Servir Angola was also carried out in his party, debating in its institutions, permanent committee, political commission and congress the formatting of the broad front for democratic alternation in Angola.

"This is a sign that comes from the parties that have democracy as a political value, which have the need for transparency, good governance, as a political value that must be transferred to governance," he said.

According to Adalberto Costa Júnior, "only democratic parties are able to govern in democracy, an apology he made to say that "unfortunately" in Angola "the current governance is interpreted by a non-democratic party, which does not practice plurality in the legitimization of its leaders ".

"We would very much like to see, as a very positive element, that by the end of this year, in the exercise of congresses held in all political parties in this country, but with an impact on those who have the responsibility of governance, that plurality is a commitment ", he said.

In turn, Abel Chivukuvuku appealed to Angolans so that they could "without misunderstandings" have "trust in UNITA and its president Adalberto Costa Júnior".

"Angolans can and must have confidence and hope in the Democratic Bloc and in its president, Filomeno Vieira Lopes. I don't need to talk about me, my life proves, I didn't defraud you in the past, I won't defraud you today or tomorrow," he said.

Abel Chivukuvuku said that the United Patriotic Front faces four immediate challenges, namely its formalization, structuring, preparation of the pre-electoral campaign and the encouragement of all Angolans to vote in the 2022 general elections.

Filomeno Vieira Lopes defended that everyone should change their position. "Those in power must go rest to the opposition, we must now move to another position. Change is a national imperative," he said.

In the final communiqué of the meeting, "a word of comfort to the MPLA and its leadership was addressed, because change is a natural process inherent to all social phenomena".