Africa-Press – Angola. The 5th ordinary congress of the Social Renewal Party (PRS) started yesterday, in Luanda, a year late and with the outgoing president, Benedito Daniel, as the only candidate to run for his succession.
With 1,001 delegates, the congress reaches its peak on Thursday, with the election of the new leader of what is Angola’s third political force with a parliamentary seat.
In his speech as outgoing leader, Benedito Daniel said that, with his election in 2017, a congress that had three candidates, the first challenge was to participate in the general elections held in the same year, one month before the start of the electoral campaign.
Benedito Daniel, who is running for a second term, said that in 2017 he launched a campaign to consolidate the unity and cohesion of the party, highlighting that “those rejected speak for themselves”.
“We brought many comrades who, for various reasons, had abandoned the party ranks, we reconciled those who were at odds and we welcomed new members, some from other political groups, from the installation committees not recognized as political parties, others out of passion, who identified with the philosophy of renewing the country and joined”, he said.
According to Benedito Daniel, the term that is ending was “full of many achievements”, of which he is proud, stressing that despite the scarcity of resources, the social dignity of leaders and others was achieved, with material and rolling goods, which allow the execution of tasks.
During his term, Benedito Daniel continued, he maintained the party’s identity and loyalty to its ideals and convictions, in addition to strengthening the relationship with society.
“We remained firm in defending federalism as the only form of organization of the State, focused on the development of Angola”, highlighted the politician, declaring that some objectives remained unrealized due to financial issues.
Some disputes, according to Benedito Daniel, delayed the holding of this congress, which was initially scheduled for April of this year.
Benedito Daniel was referring to the candidate Sapalo António, who filed a precautionary measure with the Constitutional Court, alleging irregularities in the constitution of the national preparatory committee for the 5th congress.
The court granted the precautionary measure, urging the party to refrain from holding the aforementioned congress.
“The party immediately accepted the decision of that sovereign body and the national preparatory committee sent a letter to the candidate Sapalo António, to validate his candidacy in order to be in harmony with the decision and continue the acts related to holding the congress”, explained Benedito Daniel.
According to Benedito Daniel, the Constitutional Court’s decision was not due to irregularities in the constitution of the national preparatory committee for the 5th congress, but rather because it considered a rule in article 41 of the party’s statutes to be unconstitutional.
Five days before the start of the congress, Sapalo António wrote to the “alleged preparatory committee” demanding that his photograph be removed from the ballot paper within 24 hours, allegedly placed without his consent, “under penalty of civil and criminal liability for the perpetrators of this macabre action”.
On September 30, the commission responded that, “with approximately five days to go until the congress, the national preparatory commission does have the legitimacy and competence to have already prepared the ballot paper for the congress with two candidates selected.”
The commission highlighted that the electoral campaign took place between August 25 and September 24 and, until the end of the calendar established for this action by the candidates, no candidate notified the commission of their withdrawal.
The PRS, founded in 1990, is the only one among the parties that emerged at the beginning of multi-partyism in Angola, in 1992, that remains in parliament.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
