UNITA reaffirms congress date and suspends militants

The deliberations were taken on Sunday, at the II extraordinary session of the Political Commission, according to a note to which Lusa had access and in which UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) stresses that it will not tolerate more interference "from the political courts of Angola".

At issue is an initiative of a group of militants who asked for the congress to be challenged with the leadership of the "Black Rooster" party and filed an injunction with the TC, alleging that the appointment of the conclave was made in an atmosphere of "intimidation".

In Sunday's meeting, the Political Commission reaffirmed the choice of date with 175 votes in favor (90% per cent), 15 votes against (8 per cent) and 3 abstentions (2 per cent) and highlighted that the autonomy of the parties in the management is ensured by the Constitution of the Republic of Angola and the Law on Political Parties.

"Under these terms, henceforth, UNITA will not tolerate the interference of the political courts of Angola in its internal life", the note reads.

In the same document, UNITA deplores "the regression of the democratic rule of law and condemns the unacceptable partisanship of the institutions of the Republic, with emphasis on their subordination to the secret services and to the psychological action office of the House of Security of the President of the Republic", reiterating its availability for dialogue with the Executive and all political forces.

Speaking to Lusa, Adalberto da Costa Júnior, the elected president of UNITA, dismissed following a decision by the Constitutional Court, considered that it would be "a scandal" if the injunction were accepted.

"If accepted, it is a scandal, it would be suicide for the MPLA. How can seven people condition the will of 200", asked the leader, the only candidate for his succession at the congress scheduled for the beginning of December.

Costa Júnior stressed that the militants' allegations are "a set of lies" and that the dates for the holding of party congresses are not decided in the courts.

"This does not exist in democracy, dictatorships are the ones who can do anything and everything", he told Lusa, considering that this is more "a lateral episode" in the MPLA's strategy for its removal, which has been benefiting UNITA .

At the meeting chaired by Isaías Samakuva, who returned to the party's leadership in October, following the TC's decision to annul the 13th Congress of 2019 that elected Costa Júnior, the members of the Political Commission also suspended the militants who wanted to make the date unfeasible. of the conclave scheduled for December 2,3 and 4th.

"Considering the fact that the militants involved resorted to the Constitutional Court before having exhausted the internal legal means, the Political Commission, under the terms of articles 16, 17, 18, and 19 of the Party's Statutes that emerged from the XII Congress meeting in 2015, it deliberated by secret vote on the preventive suspension of its members Ilídio Chissanga Eurico, Amaro Cambiete Sebastião Caimana, Sócrates Yava Kabeia, Elisbey Chinjola Bamba Setapi, Manuela dos Prazeres de Kazoto, Ana Filomena Junqueira da Cruz Domingos and Filipe Mendonça. , his preventive suspension was approved by 153 votes in favor (corresponding to 82 percent of the votes cast), 29 votes against (16 percent) and four abstentions (2 percent).

The political commission also approved, by acclamation, the appointment of Amélia Judith Ernesto as vice president, replacing Raul Danda, who died in May this year, aged 63.

In October, the TC annulled the XIII UNITA Congress, in which Adalberto da Costa Júnior was elected, invoking a violation of the Constitution, forcing the party to maintain the previous leadership led by Isaias Samakuva.

The ruling of the TC gave reason to a group of militants who requested the nullity of the congress, invoking several irregularities, including the dual nationality of Adalberto da Costa Júnior (Portuguese and Angolan) at the date of presentation of his candidacy for the elections of the XIII Congress.

The judgment was signed by seven of the 13 councilor judges and was not unanimous, with judge Josefa Neto having voted defeated.

The judge considered that the decision on this matter was "not only a violation of the aforementioned principle of autonomy, but also of the principle of minimal intervention by the Constitutional Court, which is equally necessary to safeguard the autonomy of political parties."