Reaffirming the defence to the right of opinion, protest and of the political, economic and social rights, the PCP reaffirms likewise the right to the sovereignty of the Republic of Angola, the right of its people to decide – free from external pressure and interference – its present and future, including the choice of its path to overcome the real problems of Angola and the achievement of its legitimate wishes. .
Reiterating the defence of the rights and guarantees of the Angolan Citizens – and not pronouncing itself on the motivations of the Angola citizens involved in this process, nor on how the relevant Angolan authorities acted upon it – the PCP reaffirms that it is up to the competent Angolan judicial authorities the treatment of this and other processes under their responsibility, within the framework of the normal functioning of its institutions and according to its legal – statutory system.
Not forgetting the long war of subversion and external aggression to which the Angolan people was subjected and so many suffering and destruction caused, the PCP does not participate in campaigns which, trying to involve Angolan citizens in the name of a legitimate civic and political intervention, aim in fact challenge the normal functioning of the Angolan institutions and again destabilize the Republic of Angola. It is important to emphasise that arguments and reasons are now used to justify the interference exercised on several countries, namely in the African continent, with dramatic consequences, of which Libya is an example.
It is within this context and bearing these factors in mind, that the PCP does not subscribe the votes submitted on the follow up of a decision taken by the Regional Court of Luanda (Tribunal Provincial de Luanda), on the 28th March, sentencing to imprisonment 17 Angolan citizens by crimes which the court considered has being preparatory acts of insurgency and conspiracy. A process which will be dealt with taking into account appeals presented by the defence and the Public Prosecution to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Angola.
Recalling that the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic enshrines the separation of the political and judicial rights and the respect for the sovereignty and the national Independence and that those principles also apply to the relationship between Portugal and other people, the rejection of the vote by the PCP comes from the defence of the sovereignty of the Republic of Angola and the objection to the attempt to remove from the judicial forum an issue under its jurisdiction and seeing through the end the respect for the rights and the procedural safeguards – including the legal instruments of appeal –legal standards and constitutional principles of the Republic of Angola.
The National Assembly must contribute to preserve and strengthen the relationship of friendship and cooperation between and the Portuguese and the Angola People and between Portugal and Angola.
