The head of state responded, in a meeting with youth representatives, in Luanda, to the questions posed by the leader of JPA, the youth organization of CASA-CE, an opposition coalition, regarding the first municipal elections in the country, which were scheduled for this year, but they never got called.
"I don't know if it will be next year," said João Lourenço.
This has been one of the demands that has been most heard during the protests of the last few weeks in Luanda.
The President considered that "the country needs to establish municipalities", but recalled that until 2018 nothing concrete was done to achieve this objective.
“At the time, we saw the possibility of holding these elections in two years and it would be useful now. But it is one thing to want and another thing to be able ”, he declared, justifying that pieces of the legislative package still need to be approved, including a controversial law, that of the institutionalization of autarchies, in view of the antagonistic positions between those who defend gradualism and those who intend to simultaneous elections.
"Only after overcoming these major differences of opinion can we move forward", stressed the head of the Angolan executive, considering that as they are the first, there may not be conditions to hold 164 different elections simultaneously.
João Lourenço reinforced that the country “can only hold elections if it has legal support”, with several players, each with their share of responsibility (National Assembly, President of the Republic and the National Electoral Commission) who should work for this purpose.
He also addressed the controversy surrounding the CNE president, saying that this controversy could also slow down the process.
The name of the new president of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), Manuel Pereira da Silva, chosen by contest and designated by the Superior Council for the Judiciary (CSMJ) was rejected by the opposition forces.
“If it shouldn't be that one and it should be another one, there are specific bodies that the disaffected ones can turn to and resorted to”, noted João Lourenço, adding that if there are “all these steps to take” and the intention is to cancel the competition, even after having been confirmed, this would imply opening a new tender procedure.
"With all this, I don't know if 2021 will be the year for municipal elections," he said, pointing out that everyone is interested in elections.
“Everything depends on our work… we have to create conditions and speak less, it is not making noise. If there are no conditions, it is not difficult, it is impossible ”, he stressed, reaffirming that he never postponed the elections because there was never a scheduled date.
