Angola Constitutional Court annuls MPLA expulsion of Valdir Cónego

The Constitutional Court of Angola has annulled the decision to expel Valdir de Jesus do Sacramento Cónego from the Central Committee and the ranks of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the ruling party.

In ruling Acórdão n.º 1161/2026, the court found that the party's disciplinary process was invalid due to a violation of the right to a defense. Specifically, the MPLA's Disciplinary, Ethics, and Audit Commission incorrectly claimed that Cónego had failed to respond to the charges. Evidence showed he submitted his written contestation on May 6, 2025, within the required 30-day period.

The court has ordered the disciplinary procedure to be redone, starting from the phase where the party must formally evaluate the arguments presented in his written defense.

While the court overturned the expulsion based on procedural errors, it rejected other claims made by Cónego. These included arguments regarding the unconstitutionality of party rules requiring legal representatives to be party members and claims that the disciplinary process had expired. The court maintained that political parties possess organizational autonomy under the Angolan Constitution.