Luanda, ANGOLA, October 30 - The ruling MPLA party President João Lourenço reiterated Thursday the right to hold protests within the scope of the law, but condemned unrest occurred on Luanda?s streets on Saturday (24).,

Dozens of citizens, allegedly encouraged by civil society activists and the opposition UNITA party’s members, took to the streets to demand clarification of the timing of the local elections, the creation of conditions to solve citizens’ problems”.

The attempted demonstration, which was not authorised, was thwarted by the National Police, at a time when the country has reinforced the restrictive measures to prevent and combat Covid-19, which prohibit gatherings of more than five people on the public road.

João Lourenço, who was speaking at the opening of the IV Ordinary Session of the MPLA Central Committee, considered these acts "sad" and "aimed to contempt " for the Presidential Decree, which bans population gatherings.  

"The direct involvement of UNITA and its MPs to the National Assembly, duly identified, is reprehensible and must deserve the most vehement rejection by Angolan society, which cannot allow political parties with Parliamentary seats to incite young people to civil disobedience", underlined the President João Lourenço.  

To MPLA President, UNITA must be responsible for its actions and recklessness, which can contribute to the sharp increase in new cases of contamination by the novel Coronavirus.  

João Lourenço is of the view that this UNITA’s behaviour  can disrupt and destroy all the efforts the Nation has been making to combat the pandemic.

Since March this year, the Angolan authorities have intensified investment in field hospitals, beds, ventilators, biosafety material and molecular biology laboratories, as part of measures to contain the spread of the covid-19.  

According to João Lourenço, disobedience of the rules on the prevention and fight against covid-19 might lead the country to declare the State of Emergency again. But we "could avoid" it due to the serious consequences on the lives of families, social and professional people and in the country's economy.

The leader of the party with the more seats in the Parliament slammed the strategy of making the country ungovernable to force bilateral negotiations, nor the contempt for the rules as happened in Luanda.

He warned that the competent authorities will remain attentive and fulfill their role in maintaining public order and enforcing the measures taken in the context of the Situation of Public Disaster.

 

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