Africa-Press – Angola. MPLA spokesperson guarantees ‘changes’ to the statutes at the December congress. The intention is being criticized for violating the governing documents of the ‘comrades’. António Venâncio, an ‘early’ candidate for the party leadership, threatens to challenge “any attempt to change the statutes”.
The MPLA Extraordinary Congress, scheduled for December 6th and 7th, will change the party’s statutes, the Political Bureau (BP) spokesperson, Esteves Hilário, assured NJ.
The confirmation was made after the ‘ State of the Nation ‘ address, which marked the opening of the parliamentary year.
The MPLA Secretary for Information and Propaganda clarified that the December congress “ will not be elective ”, stressing that for now, there is “ no forecast of changing the party’s management structure”.
“There will be no candidacies because there is no election. The elective congresses are the ordinary ones, which take place every five years ,” he explained.
Esteves Hilário mentioned that the congress will essentially discuss the future challenges of the MPLA, focusing on a reflection on the 50 years of National Independence, as well as the amendment of the statutes, the only two points approved by the Central Committee (CC) as the party’s deliberative body.
“The agenda has only two points. The congress will discuss the thesis of 50 years of Independence and future challenges. It will also discuss the amendment of the statutes”, he confirmed.
The announcement of the change to the statutes next December, particularly number 1 of article 120 (“The party president heads the list of candidates for the national constituency, being a candidate for President of the Republic”), is generating disparate interpretations among the ‘comrades’.
The article amended in the 2021 Ordinary Congress prevents João Lourenço from running again for the presidency of the MPLA in 2026 , as otherwise would be incompatible with the Constitution, which establishes two terms for the President of the Republic.
Article 75 of the MPLA Statutes grants the Ordinary Congress the exclusive power to “review , modify and approve the Party’s statutes and Program” , denying any other forum the privilege of making changes to the main document that governs the internal life of the comrades.
«We will challenge any change to the statutes in December before the TC»
In this regard, MPLA member António Venâncio, who has recently been denouncing certain irregularities on social media, is against the aforementioned claim, as it violates the party’s statutes.
The politician considers the Ordinary Congress to be the only way to change the statutes.
“ The change in the statutes must take place at the Ordinary Congress of 2026 ”, he recalls.
In a statement, the politician draws the attention of the party leadership to not allow the violation of the governing documents.
It clarifies that the current statutes do not allow any changes in an extraordinary congress and guarantees the challenge if the idea is put forward.
“ We will challenge any changes to the statutes at the Extraordinary Congress in December before the Constitutional Court ,” he warned.
Previously, the MPLA Statutes did not require the party president to be, at the same time, the head of the list, and could suggest his candidate for President of the Republic, and so it was with José Eduardo dos Santos, who proposed João Lourenço as his successor.
Sources from Novo Jornal say that this scenario was changed to avoid the so-called bicephaly between the President of the Republic and the leader of the party that supports the Government. NJ
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