Higino Carneiro can challenge annulment of MPLA candidacy
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Jornal F8
Higino Carneiro can challenge the annulment of his candidacy for the presidency of Angola’s People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) before the Constitutional Court. The jurist Rui Verde says the decision could also depend on the Attorney General’s investigation into possible document forgery, Lusa reports.
Angolan lawyer Rui Verde believes Higino Carneiro can still challenge the annulment of his candidacy for the presidency of the MPLA, Angola’s ruling party, before the Constitutional Court or the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic. The MPLA Central Committee declared the candidacy null on Wednesday, according to comments by Rui Verde reported by Lusa.
The jurist said the Constitutional Court could order the entire process to be restarted if Higino Carneiro appealed to it. He added that the Attorney General’s Office would have to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to bring charges of document forgery or whether no offence had been committed.
The Central Committee upheld its decision after Higino Carneiro appealed and opened disciplinary proceedings against him for alleged violations of the MPLA’s ethical and moral rules. It also referred the case to the Attorney General’s Office, citing strong indications of forged signatures and improper use of identity documents in his candidacy filed on 25 June. Higino Carneiro, a former government official and retired general, had challenged the initial rejection issued on 21 July.
