Africa-Press – Angola. MPLA president João Lourenço recommended, this Tuesday, discipline, patriotism and a fruitful relationship with other political forces in the National Assembly to the party’s Parliamentary Group.
The information was released to the press by the president of the MPLA parliamentary group, Virgílio de Fontes Pereira, at the end of the first meeting of the deputies elected by the list of the winning party in the 24 August elections.
Deputy Virgílio de Fontes Pereira said he expects from the parliamentary group, during the legislature, a strategic action in addressing some issues, in favor of the interests of the country and the party.
He referred that the meeting had a second moment, guided by the party’s vice-president, Luísa Damião, who served to make known, particularly to newcomers, the rules, organization and functioning of the group.
Virgílio de Fontes Pereira said that the creation and composition of specialized committees, the group of women parliamentarians, the board of directors and the standing committee were also discussed.
In relation to the matter, the President of the National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira, reiterated, at the time of her inauguration, that she will continue to implement the administrative reform program underway in Parliament.
Before the vice-presidents of the National Assembly, the leaders of political parties with parliamentary seats and officials from the House of Laws, Carolina Cerqueira defended the dynamization of the Local Support Offices for Deputies in provincial circles , the strengthening of relations with other parliaments and organizations of which the National Assembly is a party, having guaranteed that these actions will continue in this new mandate.
President Carolina Cerqueira mentioned, by the way, that the Angolan Parliament knew how to maintain dignity in the previous legislature, despite adverse situations, and that urbanity and respect were maintained during recent years.
MPLA bench holds absolute majority
According to the results of the General Elections of 24 August, the MPLA obtained 51.17%, against the 43.95% of its main opponent, UNITA. In the 2017 elections, the ruling party had 61.08% and the main opponent 26.68%.
With the latest results, the MPLA elected 124 deputies, against the 150 of the previous Legislature, thus losing 26 seats in Parliament.
The majority party has, however, retained a position, with an absolute majority, which allows it to govern with tranquility.
UNITA, in turn, elected 90 deputies, 39 more compared to the last Legislature, in which it had 51 parliamentarians. This is the best result of the main opposition party in the five elections that the country has already held. The Galo Negro thus surpassed the 70 seats obtained in 1992.
Note of note is that the MPLA and UNITA are the only parties to elect parliamentarians in provincial circles. PRS, FNLA and PHA have MPs only in the national circle.
Coincidentally, these last three will have the same number of seats: two. Therefore, they cannot form a parliamentary group, because, according to the National Assembly’s regiment, only the political formation that manages to elect at least three deputies forms a bench.
Another coincidence is that, as in the previous Legislature, in the 2022-2027 one, there will be five political formations in Parliament: MPLA, UNITA, PRS, FNLA and PHA. Among these, the PHA is the rookie.
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