Olívio Nkilumbu says PR statements to Isaías Samakuva were “dangerous and inappropriate”

"I think it was a dangerous communication because it is inadequate at the moment, on the one hand, and it is a little consequence of the figures that the President of the Republic makes up, namely the president of the MPLA, the ruling party, Commander-in-Chief of the FAA (Angolan Armed Forces) and head of state," said Olívio Nkilumbu, when questioned by journalists.

For the political scientist and professor, the aforementioned figures in a single "really create this animosity and no one knows whether the President of the Republic was naturally the head of state there, because he was in the Council of the Republic, and had to speak as head of state".

"Therefore, when he personalises, he no longer speaks as head of state, when, for example, governors call him "comrade President" when the President of the Republic leaves, as head of state, and not as head of his party, he creates that", stressed the political scientist.

President João Lourenço said last Monday that he hoped that Isaias Samakuva, who returned to the presidency of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), the biggest party in the Angolan opposition, after the removal of Adalberto da Costa Júnior, "come to stay" at the ceremony in which he was reinstated as Councilor to the Republic.

Isaias Samakuva returned to the leadership of UNITA until the election of a new president for the largest opposition party, following the ruling of the Constitutional Court that dictated the annulment of the XIII Congress of the "Black Rooster" party and consequently the dismissal of Adalberto da Costa Júnior, who had won the race for the presidency of the party at the congress.

João Lourenço, who swore in Isaiah Samakuva as adviser to the Republic at the ceremony before the meeting of this consultative body of the Angolan President, highlighted the qualities of the party leader who was at the head of UNITA for 16 years.

"Fate wanted the country to call him for the second time to play the same role, which is not common, for that reason I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him", João Lourenço told Isaías Samakuva, highlighting his "qualities ".

"You were already our colleague in the Council of the Republic for some time, as we know what we expect from you. As an advisor to the President of the Republic, I hope that this time he will come to stay," he added.

This Wednesday, asked about the statements made by João Lourenço during a press conference, where members of civil society requested the presence of international election observers with "good reputation", Nkilumbu considered that the President showed that he had "a preference for political opponents".

"And I think it was an inappropriate position and it demonstrates that the President of the Republic has preferences in terms of political opponents and the political environment does not create preferences," he argued.

The political environment "creates competitors and each one of the competitors has to live up to the environment, a competitor cannot choose his opponent, the draw dictates which position he will be in and I think this was very negative for the political environment".

"And, above all, for a head of state who must, at that moment, emanate the sense of state and not guide politically and in a party way, and, therefore, was very inadequate", concluded the political scientist.