Africa-Press – Angola. The MPLA spokesperson stated that the party is “cohesive,” despite disagreements on some issues, affirming its commitment to winning the 2027 elections with a more significant majority.
“The MPLA is, as it always has been, cohesive and united around its ideals, its flag, and its leader,” declared Esteves Hilário during a press conference today in Luanda, where he presented the program of commemorations for the party’s 69th anniversary.
He acknowledged, however, that there is no internal unanimity: “Where there are humans, there is divergence of thought, it’s normal,” he stated, adding that these differences do not constitute a rupture or a threat to the cohesion of the MPLA, “because the MPLA is a disciplined party.”
In this context, he continued, anyone who has a different idea from the party leadership can express their ideas in the appropriate forums.
“This is part of the very democracy that the MPLA has always defended in its internal structures,” he reinforced.When questioned about the congress scheduled for next year, in which João Lourenço’s successor as leader of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) is expected to be chosen, the spokesperson considered it premature to advance discussions, deferring decisions to the competent bodies.
Regarding the legal proceedings involving General Higino Carneiro, who was formally charged last week, he avoided commenting on judicial matters and stressed that the Central Committee will define who meets the conditions to be a candidate.
Esteves Hilário reiterated that the fight against corruption, a flagship policy of President João Lourenço, will be pursued to its ultimate consequences, regardless of whether it affects MPLA members.
“It is an MPLA project. [The party] obviously has pain, because it is cutting into its own flesh,” he said, also emphasizing that the process “is permanent” and that the results are visible “in the recovered assets and money that have been made available to Angolans.”
Esteves Hilário acknowledged the accumulated political wear and tear, but rejected any attempt to minimize the difficulties.”We don’t play ostrich politics. Nobody hides their head in the sand waiting for the storm to pass; the storm is meant to be faced. These are challenging times, and we are here to face the music and effectively solve these problems.”
When questioned about the risk of the population becoming tired of sacrifices and opting for a change in power in 2027, should the opposition present itself united, he responded that “the Angolan people are resilient” and insisted that the MPLA is preparing to win the elections again, with a more significant majority, guaranteeing that “the party is growing.”
“It will not be the first time that the opposition unites against the MPLA in an election, and you will see the result later. We are not at all worried about that. We are concerned with our internal organization, with solving the people’s problems,” he emphasized.The spokesperson also said that the party wants to reverse the less favorable results of 2022, pointing to difficulties in communicating with the population during the Covid-19 pandemic:
“The Covid-19 pandemic was the moment when we lost direct contact with our members and we had difficulty explaining to people, obviously, the soundness of the economic measures we were implementing,” he justified.
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