Africa-Press – Angola. The venerable judge counselor of the Supreme Court Efigénia Clemente obtained, this Tuesday, the highest number of votes (8) among the three candidates for the position of vice-president of this Supreme Court of the Judiciary, whose appointment is reserved, by law , to the President of the Republic.
Efigénia Clemente surpassed, in the internal competition, the venerable judges Daniel Geraldes, who obtained six (6) votes, and Maria Teresa Marçal, with one (1), during the voting in plenary session, guided by the president of the Supreme Court, Joel Leonardo, which elected the candidates to be submitted to the Head of State.
The Constitution of the Republic of Angola (CRA) provides that the vice president of the Supreme Court is appointed by the President of the Republic from among the three candidates selected by two thirds of the counselor judges in office.
However, regardless of the results of today’s election, which put Efigénia Clemente “apparently” in an advantageous position, the nomination could fall to any of the three candidates.
With only three candidates, the process registered six null votes and three absences among the 24 voters (all advisor judges), including the competitors.
Of the 21 venerables who exercised their right to vote, eight did so in advance, for various reasons, justified, according to the spokesman for the electoral commission, Mateus Glória.
When intervening in the act, the president of the Supreme Court, Joel Leonardo, underlined the importance of the same, having considered “a democratic exercise that takes another step towards the consolidation and dignification of the judicial power of the young Democratic State of Law”.
The election stems from the vacancy of office that has been registered since 2021, due to the retirement of the venerable judge advisor and vice president of the Court, Cristino Molares de Abril e Silva.
According to the regulation, the next 48 hours are reserved for possible contestation of the results, and all complaints must be presented by interested parties to the Electoral Commission.
The members of the Superior Council for the Judiciary are composed of the members of the said commission, Sebastião Bessa, coordinator, José Lopes (deputy coordinator) and Mateus Domingos, secretary.
Once the election results are approved, the President of the Superior Council for the Judiciary (CSMJ) communicates to the President of the Republic the names of the three most voted candidates, so that the appointment of Vice-President of the Supreme Court may be among them.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the hierarchy of courts of common jurisdiction.
The advisory judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President of the Republic, on the proposal of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, after a curriculum competition among judicial magistrates, magistrates of the Public Ministry and jurists of merit.
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