Angolan president warns of contempt for democracy

Angolan head of State João Lourenço has voiced concern about disrespect for the basic principles of democracy in Africa, having slammed the seizure of political power through unconstitutional means.

In his speech delivered at the opening of a conference on Friday, ahead of the 15th anniversary of the Constitutional Court (TC), João Lourenço referred to Angola, stating that “some people never recognised the election results, in a clear contempt for the people’s will freely expressed in the polls.

According to the President, “the State-owned institutions and the patriotic civil society committed to democracy, convey a clear message to those who want to reach the power by unsuitable and unconstitutional means.

We are witnesses of the situations like these ones in which the assault on power has taken the form of an effective assault on the centres of executive power, in some cases, and legislative power in others, which fortunately have been counteracted for the survival of democracy, he added.

In his speech, the president João Lourenço also mentioned the global peace and security as facing permanent challenges which, according to him, are threatened due to the emergence of the new armed conflicts.

The Head of State blamed these conflicts for humanitarian, food and energy crises, coupled with climate change and its serious aftermaths.

The Constitutional Court is commemorating 15 years since it was institutionalised on 17 October

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)