Africa-Press – Angola. The Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST) urges political parties to work on the process of raising awareness among militants, to ensure the promotion of stability and civic participation in the upcoming elections, scheduled for August this year.
The exhortation, released Tuesday (8th) at a mass, is one of the recommendations of the first ordinary annual meeting of CEAST, held from the 1st to the 7th of this month, in the municipality of Baía Farta, in Benguela.
Catholic prelates conclude that it is essential for political parties to play a more relevant and active role in the civic domain, in view of the upcoming elections, contrary to the need to look only at the dispute and the scope of power.
In the message, presented by the president of CEAST, D. José Manuel Imbamba, the bishops consider that the holding of regular meetings, aiming at the exchange of ideas, among political actors, for moralization and social promotion, also constitutes a more value to the electoral process.
“This moment is a great opportunity for parties, together with their militants, sympathizers and active electoral society, to promote a culture of respect for the public good, moral values, tolerance, citizenship and the preservation of peace, democratic stability, these being the gains embodied in the Constitution of the Republic, which enshrines Angola as a democratic and lawful State”, they exhort.
Catholic bishops hope that political actors know how to look at the elections as a celebration of democracy. “Despite the uncontrollable moods that exist within many Angolans, for different reasons, it is important that everyone, in a responsible way, contributes to moralization, in order to avoid the emergence of hostile environments, which do nothing to support and dignify the growth of the nation, being a rich and noble country that wants to make it better for the good of all”, they exhort.
Like other realities, the prelates also expect from traditional authorities, the media, as well as civil society organizations work in civic education, to facilitate a better understanding of the election process and raise the level of awareness and responsibility of each citizen voter in this process.
They recognize the commitment of the Defense, Security and Public Order forces, which they ask, in a spirit of patriotism, to continue to carry out this task impartially, always safeguarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens. They recall that the Constitution grants, to every citizen, the right to have their political or religious conviction, without discrimination.
With this exhortation, D. Imbamba says that CEAST presents its contribution in the process for the consolidation and stability of the country’s democracy, being certain that “Angola is a nation of families, sharing ties of differences, but destined to live together”. “No one should exclude themselves or others, nor row in the opposite direction”, he defended.
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