Africa-Press – Angola. The Humanist Party of Angola (PHA) is experiencing days of strong political turmoil, with antagonistic positions among leaders regarding the leadership of its president, Florbela Malaquias, the origin of this entire imbroglio.
In statements to Rádio Nacional da Angola, Roque Sozinho, who presented himself as a member of the PHA Political Committee, refuted the information that reports the alleged dismissal of the party leader, Florbela Catarina Malaquias, stressing that only the convention scheduled for August 30th will be able to decide whether or not she will continue as president of the organization.
“The president of the Humanist Party of Angola will only cease to be Dr. Florbela through the convention. The convention is our party’s highest body. It is at this convention that the members will decide whether or not to continue with Dr. Florbela as president,” he stated.
On that occasion, Roque Sozinho accused some leaders “of wanting to take over the party’s leadership through illegal means,” disregarding the Constitutional Court’s decisions. He also acknowledged the existence of an internal crisis, but assured that the PHA continues to prepare to be an alternative in the 2027 general elections.
“We cannot accept that a statement shared on social media or in WhatsApp groups serves as an effective mechanism to remove a legally elected president,” he stressed.
Internal challenge
However, on the contrary, Nsimba Luwawa, a member of the PHA’s National Political Committee, asserts that Florbela Malakias’s removal has already been deliberated. According to him, 25 members, meeting in quorum, decided to remove the president, a decision that has already been communicated to the Constitutional Court.
“If the president finds our decision flawed, let it go to court. It’s the ideal forum to resolve any conflict. But we don’t think she will, because she knows we’re right. We’ve already challenged the convention that was called. We reaffirm the decision made last Saturday,” he declared.
Nsimba Luwawa also criticized the intervention of Roque Sozinho, a member of the PHA board, who often speaks publicly about the case in defense of Florbela Malakias. “Roque is only a member; he doesn’t take any initiative. He’s not authorized to speak on behalf of the Party. Neither the president nor her member seem to be familiar with the PHA’s bylaws,” he stated.
Possible extinction of the party
The member of the National Political Committee went further, admitting that the statutes allow even the most radical measure of dissolving the party, if the members believe that there are no conditions for its continuation.
“We can resort to the most serious measure, which is for the convention to decide to dissolve the party. We will not allow the PHA to be led by someone who serves the party and not the other way around,” he concluded.
With less than two weeks to go before the convention, the dispute over Florbela Malaquias’ leadership threatens to further aggravate the PHA’s internal instability, putting at risk the immediate future of the party, which emerged in 2022 and has a seat in Parliament through the general elections of the same year.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
