INAUGURATION SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC | ■ LUANDA, 15.09.2022 ■
Excellencies, Heads of State, and Government
Your Excellency, Heads of Delegations of the invited countries
Excellency Dr Esperança da Costa, Vice President of the Republic
Honorable Judge President of the Constitutional Court
Honorable President of the Supreme Court
Presidents of Political Parties
Respected Church Leaders
Worthiest Representatives of Civil Society Organizations
Angolan people
Ladies and gentlemen.
In this solemn inauguration Presidential ceremony for the term of office from 2022 to 2027, following the general elections of 24 August of this year that gave the victory to the MPLA and its candidate, allow me to start by congratulating the Angolan People, the real and veritable big winner of these elections.
Congratulations on the patriotism, high tolerance, and civility showed in what is already considered the most disputed general elections in the history of the young Angolan democracy.
Angolans have demonstrated to the world that at crucial moments, they know how to make the best choices and choose the future of their country with great responsibility.
By electing the MPLA and its candidate, they bet on continuity as a sure way to guarantee peace, stability, and the economic and social development of the country.
I also congratulate all the Parties and Coalitions of Political Parties for their participation in these elections, which contributed to strengthening our democracy.
In addition to voters and competing political forces, we extend our gratitude to all those who contributed to the elections’ success.
To the National Electoral Commission, the Constitutional Court, the Forces of Order, national and foreign observers, and the media, our thanks for the work carried out with great dedication and dedication.
I would also like to thank all the Heads of State and Government and all the collective and individual entities that kindly sent messages of congratulations on the victory achieved, wishing for success in the mandate that we are starting today.
Dear Compatriots
Dear guests
Ladies, gentlemen
In assuming, by mandate of the sovereign people, the President of the Republic of Angola functions, I declare on my honor to respect the Constitution and the Law, to be the President of all Angolans and to govern for the economic and social development of the country and the good -being of all Angolans.
I will dedicate all my strength and attention to the permanent search for the best solutions to the country’s main problems. Particular attention will be paid to the social sector concerning the well-being of populations.
We will continue to invest in human beings as the primary agent of development in their education and training, health care, decent housing, access to potable water and electricity, and basic sanitation.
We will continue to work on policies and good practices to encourage and promote the economy’s private sector, increase the supply of goods and services of national production, increase exports and create more and more jobs for Angolans, especially for the youngest.
Dear Compatriots
In this second term, we will continue and complete public infrastructure projects such as the Caio Deepwater Commercial Port in Cabinda; the airports in Cabinda, Mbanza Congo, and the António Agostinho Neto International in Luanda; the oil refineries in Cabinda, Soyo, and Lobito; the Barra do Dande Development Hub, the Caculo Cabaça hydroelectric dam, the interconnection of the north-central-south and east systems of the national electricity grid, the construction of photovoltaic energy parks for much of the country.
We are going to build the water collection, treatment, and distribution systems of BITA and Quilonga to solve the water deficit in Luanda, as well as the great program of construction of canals and, dams, water storage reservoirs in the context of the fight against effects of drought in southern Angola.
More primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals and infrastructure for primary, secondary, and higher education will be built; more roads will be rehabilitated and constructed.
We will also continue to build proximity social infrastructures in every municipality in the country within the framework of the PIIM. All these programs and projects will bring more development and jobs for Angolans.
Angolans and Angolans
Dear Compatriots
Our commitment to respect the Constitution and the Law is sacred, especially concerning citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms.
The protection of minorities, the most vulnerable, the elderly, children, and the less favored will be a constant in the Executive’s policies throughout this new term.
Citizens, particularly workers and young people, remain at the center of our attention. In this way, we will always work towards the constant strengthening of our economy to make it an economy that can guarantee workers a decent salary and purchasing power compatible with the ability to acquire essential consumer goods from the basic basket.
The KWENDA cash transfer program, the MOSAP, the Entrepreneurship Support, and Promotion Program (PAPE), the Informal Economy Reconversion Program (PREI), and others of social assistance will continue and will be improved and adjusted to the real needs of the targeted groups.
We will honor the commitment to continue fighting for gender equality, equal opportunities, and the promotion of women to the highest management and leadership positions in the State apparatus, in public, and leadership positions in different sectors of Angolan society.
We will pay particular attention to young people’s academic and technical-professional training so that they are better prepared to face the opportunities that arise in today’s increasingly demanding and competitive job market.
Angolan society and the competent justice bodies will continue with their work to prevent and fight corruption and the impunity that still prevails.
Let’s all work on educating people about the need for a paradigm shift, addictions, bad practices, and destructive behaviors that have been installed and rooted for years.
We will govern with the participation and scrutiny of everyone, from elected deputies to the National Assembly, non-governmental organizations, professional classes, unions, the private business sector organized into different associations, academics, recognized churches, and the media.We will continue with local governance in the established format, where we will seek to speak with the authorities and the different representative fringes of society in each province on our trips to the interior.
Angolans and Angolans
Excellencies
In this new mandate, we will continue to respect our commitment to the world to contribute with concrete actions to reduce the emission of polluting greenhouse gases, aiming to protect our planet from climate change and its severe consequences for Humanity.
With dedicated non-governmental organizations, we will carry out environmental education programs to discourage deforestation that does not comply with the obligation of replanting native species or eucalyptus trees. We’ll also fight fires carried out in dry weather, supposedly considered an ancestral tradition, but which destroys flora and fauna and impoverishes arable land.
We will continue with policies and concrete actions to reduce the consumption of petroleum derivatives and the use of firewood for domestic or industrial consumption.
We will continue to invest heavily in eco-friendly and clean sources of energy production, building or expanding existing hydroelectric dams, and building more and more photovoltaic solar energy parks and green hydrogen projects.
We will support all initiatives to protect endangered or threatened plant and animal species, such as mangroves, sea turtles, elephants, hippos, rhinos, gorillas, chimpanzees, monkeys, and others.
The defense of our territorial integrity, sovereignty, and internal public order is sacred for a country like Angola that has lived through decades of armed conflict, achieved peace and stability twenty years ago, and intends to preserve them at all costs.
We will find the best financing solutions for the re-equipment and modernization of the Angolan Armed Forces to bring them to the level of prestige gained over time.
In the first days of the Executive’s entry into service, we will dedicate ourselves to the continuous training of the personnel and to improving the conditions for quartering the troops and their salaries.
Dear Compatriots
Excellencies
Angola is today a country open to the world, with dynamic diplomacy, with beneficial results for the country’s image and economy.
The country has gained prestige and respect on the continent and in the world due to the important role it has played with some success in resolving conflicts in the SADC and CIRGL region, as in the cases of the Central African Republic, and in border conflicts. Between Rwanda and the DRC or even between Uganda and Rwanda, where we have modestly tried to do our best, since, as we know, the solution consistently and above all depends on the political will of the parties directly involved.
We are concerned about the conflict in the Tigray region in Ethiopia, whose humanitarian situation is worsening every day because it was simply forgotten with the outbreak of a new conflict in Europe. It is time for the world to face the need to save and protect human life equally, without racial, religious, or any other prejudice.
All victims of wars, armed conflicts, and natural disasters must deserve our affection, attention, and solidarity. The United Nations must be the regulatory guide for the necessary balance in the action of international humanitarian organizations so that attention is not focused only on attending to one type of needy person, depending on their origin.
Refugees from Syria, Yemen, the Sahel countries, Somalia, Tigray, and other parts of the world also deserve the attention of international humanitarian agencies.
Dear Compatriots
Dear guests
In its relations with the world, Angola has always sought to preserve the bonds of friendship and cooperation conquered throughout our historical path and to open and develop new ties of friendship and cooperation and new partnerships, resulting from our clear option for a Democratic State of Law and the Market Economy.
Angola has always been a defender of universal peace and security through the negotiated and peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East, the conflict on the Korean peninsula, and others that, despite their different dimensions, always end up having an impact and negative consequences on peace and global security.
The history of the two world wars and other more localized wars and their consequences for Humanity has taught us that we must discourage or fight for the end of any war that arises to resolve conflicts that may exist between sovereign countries.
Regardless of the underlying reasons, this is certainly not a recommended solution, as it is not to be expected, in these cases, a purely military victory.
The war in Ukraine has already caused a high number of deaths, injuries, refugees, and enormous destruction of heritage and infrastructure, with implications for peace and the world economy.
The Republic of Angola has always defended the importance of resorting to dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, striving for unequivocal respect for International Law.
Accordingly, and taking into account the need to avoid an escalation of the conflict, we consider it essential that the Russian authorities take the initiative to put an end to the conflict. Thereby a better environment for negotiating a new peace architecture for Europe and opening the way towards the much-desired and necessary reform of the United Nations Security Council would be created.
Dear Compatriots
Dear Guests
This solemn ceremony of inauguration of the President of the Republic for a new term takes place a few days after the Angolans and the world have accompanied him to his last address and thus said goodbye to the Architect of Peace, President José Eduardo dos Santos.
It also happens a few days before the date on which the Angolan people and the world will celebrate, on September 17, the Centenary of the birth of the Founder of the Angolan Nation, the Poeta Maior, President António Agostinho Neto.
Compatriots
Excellencies
Allow me to take this opportunity to thank the Heads of State and Government, and the Angolan guests, for honoring and prestige this solemn ceremony of inauguration for a new term of office of the President of the Republic with their presence.
Our commitment and dedication to work will repay the voters’ repeated confidence in me and the Executive, which will soon be formed and announced.
