Journalists Union supports ruling party's concerns

Angola , Luanda – The Angolan Journalists Trade Union (SJA) Monday in Luanda considers legitimate the concern expressed by the leadership of the ruling MPLA party concerning the way the privately owned bi-weekly “Folha 8” portrayed, in one of its editions, three figures of the State, with stress to the president of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos.In a note signed by SJA secretary general, Luísa Rogério, the union says that the concern has its support, in terms of the Constitution of the Republic, concerning the exercise of the freedom of speech and information. The SJA said it has taken notice of the explanations forwarded by Folha 8 which, in its latest edition, in bold, admits to have made a mistake.According to the SJA note, the organ is convinced that Folha8 management will seek to explain and convince those concerned about allegedly lenient circumstances that have encouraged the publication into running such a polemic images. The source further states that despite existing evidences it is relevant to explain that Folha 8 has not yet been condemned by any competent legal institution and therefore remains innocent in terms of the same Constitution that has given MPLA legitimacy to protest. On the other hand, the SJA strongly deplores the campaign promoted by the State-controlled media, with stress to the Angola Public Television (TPA) and Radio Nacional de Angola (RNA), following the reaction of the Politburo of the ruling party.According to the note, the State-controlled media grossly violated the principles of impartiality they are obliged to observe in terms of the law in force in the country concerning the duties of journalists. The SJA also deplores that a conflict between constitutionally protected rights which is part of the daily affairs in any democratic regime, in Angola it has relapsed into a virtual crisis of a national spectrum, due to a more and more worrying manipulation of the public media by the public political powers.