Angola's parliament passes civil protection law

The Angolan Parliament unanimously approved on Friday, the Civil Protection Law that aims, among other measures, to prevent the occurrence of collective risks, resulting from serious accidents, disasters or public calamities.

With this step, according to the Minister of State and Head of the Civil House of the President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida, the country gains a system of civil protection with new tools, which facilitate the adoption of measures in situations of public calamity.

The government official, who was speaking to the press, on the sidelines of the final approval of the diploma, recalled that Angola lived a period of about two months, in which the main measure was the State of Emergency, with suspension of certain fundamental rights.

According to the Minister of State, the fact that the diploma was approved by consensus represents the union and the sense of prudence of all in relation to the life of the population in cases of occurrence of phenomena, such as those that are currently occurring and future events of calamity or disaster.

He said that the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic that the country is experiencing can be done through the State of Emergency, or other mechanisms, always maintaining the spirit of responsibility, prudence and safeguarding the lives of citizens.

He stressed that the declaration of a state of emergency, its extension or the declaration of a situation of public calamity or catastrophe depends on the Head of State, after assessing the situation, with a view to taking the best measures.