Union concerned with regulator's silence on public coverage of MPLA and UNITA congresses

The position expressed in a note signed by the secretary general, Teixeira Cândido, considers ERCA's position to be a "serious omission", "a posture that may be related to its political party composition", he adds.

"The SJA is convinced that it is an obligation of the Media Regulatory Authority to pay attention to the citizens' criticisms, addressed to public bodies, as they are above all taxpayers who demand a quality service", the note emphasizes.

The union organization refers that it continues to defend the existence of ERCA, but "but with a composition and attributions as established in the Basic Law on Independent Administrative Entities, approved by the parliament, in October of this year".

"The SJA has no doubt that the posture of the public press covering the two congresses grossly violated the Constitution of the Republic of Angola", the document reads, considering that the public media granted "privileged treatment to the party MPLA, a situation that did not contribute to the promotion of information pluralism and social peace".

The two biggest political parties, the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), the biggest in the opposition, held their meetings this month, within a week of each other. ordinary congresses.

ERCA is made up of 11 members, of which five are appointed by the party with a majority in parliament, one member appointed by the Government, two by the sector's representative organizations and three by the other parties with seats in the National Assembly, two of which by UNITA, such as the strongest opposition force, and the last one by joint indication of CASA-CE, PRS and FNLA.