Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Luanda (Agenzia Fides) - "May the Angolan people show on August 24 the maturity that they have always shown at other times and may political leaders abandon all resentment, all hatred, and not seek power for power's sake, but pursue peace to favor the progress of the Angolan people". This is the call made to politicians and the Angolan people by Monsignor José Manuel Imbamba, Archbishop of Saurimo and President of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST) in a statement to journalists, at the end of a ceremony organized by MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) with different religious confessions.
On August 24, votes will be held in Angola to elect the new President and renew Parliament. The two main contenders are outgoing President João Lourenço, leader of the MPLA, the ruling party since independence from Portugal in 1975; and Adalberto Costa Júnior, leader of the main opposition party, UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola).
Msgr. Imbamba, wished that the day of the elections, "will be experienced as a moment of social interaction in a spirit of peace, reconciliation, unity and brotherhood". The President of the CEAST also stated that "the reform of the State is the way to solve our problems". A reform that "incorporates ethical values" and that looks after the interests of the population and not those of the political parties.
Angola has enormous natural resources, starting with oil and gas, but only part of its 33 million inhabitants benefit from them. The economic problems are aggravated by the worst drought in the last 40 years that has hit the agricultural sector hard. On the political level, the long management of power by the MPLA attributes to the party the responsibility for the conditions in the country, at least in the eyes of young people who were not born at the time of the war of independence and the civil conflict between the MPLA and UNITA which ended in 2002.
It is feared that social tensions could lead to violent clashes on election day. For this reason, the Angolan bishops promoted a national novena of prayer on August 15 to ask God, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that the elections take place in peace. In February (see Fides, 3/2/2022) the CEAST hoped that the vote on August 24 will help "to consolidate Angolan democracy". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 23/8/2022)
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