Young people announce demonstrations against “regression” of democracy

The joint position of the leaders of the organizations was presented at a press conference, in Luanda, considering that Angola is going through a moment that "dangers the healthy coexistence between political actors and that can lead to social upheavals like other African countries".

According to the young people, the street demonstrations should take place throughout the country and will also have ramifications abroad.

The United and Revolutionary Youth of Angola (JURA), the youth arm of UNITA, the youth coordination of the political project PRA-JA Servir Angola, the Bloquista Youth, affects the Democratic Bloc party, the Angolan Student Movement (MEA), the Movement Hip-Hop Third Division and the Angolan People's Union are some of the signatories of the joint declaration.

The document is also signed by the civil organizations Projecto Agir, Contestatory Civil Society, Kilamba Kiaxi Intervention Platform, Cazenga in Action Platform, Young People United for Just Causes and the Women's Association for Civil and Political Rights.

The organizations say they are following with "great concern the setback of the fragile democracy in the country, led by the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola and its president, João Lourenço".

For these young people, the president of the MPLA and also of the Republic, João Lourenço, "has been abusively usurping the powers of other organs of sovereignty".

The youths, associated with the organizations, thus manifest "total indignation and revulsion at the systematic violations of the Constitution and other laws in force in the Republic of Angola", according to the joint statement presented by the secretary general of JURA, Agostinho Kamuango.

The youth also accused the ruling party of "abusive use" of public media, of "partisanship of state institutions, of persecuting political opponents who defend justice and the implementation of a democratic rule of law".

The position of the ruling party, they underlined, "reveals the insensitivity of a dictatorial, unpatriotic regime, incapable of living with difference."

They also praised the proclamation of the United Patriotic Front, a political and electoral platform aimed at alternating power in 2022, which brings together the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), Democratic Bloc, PRA-JA Servir Angola political project and society actors civil.

The plenary of judges of the Constitutional Court (TC) annulled the XIII UNITA Congress, which elected in November 2019 the current president of the party, Adalberto Costa Júnior, alleging violation of the Constitution, mainly for having run for office with dual nationality (Portuguese and Angola).

In the opinion of young people working in opposition political parties and civil society, with the ruling of the TC, made public on Thursday, the judicial body "resigns from its functions and enters into political games conceived in psychological action offices" .

"And by the intelligence and security services of the State, in collusion with the 'media', demonizing all those who do not align themselves with the practices of the tyrant regime, installed in power for 46 years," they said.

The youth also expressed solidarity with UNITA and its president, Adalberto Costa Júnior, considering that he was elected in a "democratic, transparent and exemplary process" and "committed themselves to defend the democratic achievements achieved so far".

The young people, in the joint statement, urged the media to "refrain from undemocratic practices as they do not contribute to social peace, reconciliation and political stability".

"That the authorities of public order continue to guarantee the protection of the citizen, reason for all the republican action and the Angolan youth who suffer in the flesh and soul, the consequences of the disastrous governance of the MPLA, to be vigilant and determined in defense intransigent of the values ​​of the motherland", they exhorted.

The youth leader of the Democratic Bloc, Adilson Manuel, said, at the time, that the youth and Angolans "have been living for 46 years with the promise of the political and social dictatorship and with a system that promotes symbolic violence."

José Gomes Hata, civic activist and member of the Third Division Hip-Hop Movement, considered that Angola is experiencing "a poorly concluded process of the Bicesse Accords, referring that the country has not left the dictatorship for democracy".