It
may prove challenging the task President João Lourenço has to face for his
first term. It is well-known a lot of things are going the wrong way in Angola,
and this is mainly due to the bad governance of his predecessor, who not pleased
enough with almost 40 years as President, still keeps himself as MPLA’s
president safeguarding the revenues that he has been raising along his “reign”.
Actually,
although José Eduardo dos Santos (JES) is "retired" from the
presidency his hallmark is quite clear - the influence his daughter Isabel dos
Santos still has on Angola's most important company – Sonangol - remains obvious
as well as the recent motion supporting JES and promoted by the party itself.
Angola,
at least formally, is a democratic rule of law. The rules are dictated by the
Constitution, and the President only owes obedience to it and the Law. However,
it seems that in the present context, there are several questions about who
actually commands the country. JES or João Lourenço? Was there actually a hand-over
of power to Lourenço? The Law proves that two-headed presidencies are not
possible or shared "de facto".
There
are, however, some signs that can bring us some hope, in light of what Lourenço
promised whilst the electoral campaign to fight corrupt acts. That was even
pointed out by the main opposition leader, Isaias Samakuva, though with due
caution in the words uttered, as if to say "wait and see".
Carlos Aires da
Fonseca Panzo, for instance, was exonerated from the position of Secretary of
Economic Affairs of the Presidency. This happened when João Lourenço became
aware the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic had instituted a
criminal investigation, based on facts denounced by Swiss authorities and that
they could constitute crimes under Angolan and Swiss law, namely money
laundering.
With
this instant resignation, there is at least a clear breakthrough in the fight
against corruption. Will the present-day muddle be put in check?
A
radical cut with the past is vital, so that the Angolan people know
unequivocally the development track.
Yet,
it is critical the MPLA supports Lourenço bluntly, and he becomes independent
and autonomous from JES and his partners, and actually fulfills the main goals outlined during the
campaign and afterwards.
João Dias - Senior Consultant, Professor of
International Relations
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