By ARNALDO VIEIRA

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Angolan third political force, the Casa-Ce alliance, has installed Mr André Mendes de Carvalho as its new leader.

Mr Carvalho's elevation to the top hierarchy is part of the alliance's preparations for the 2022 General Election, which it hopes to contest as a single party.

He said his alliance would not take part in the municipal elections to be held next year, as they did not have sufficient time to prepare.

The Broad Convergence for Angolan Salvation-Electoral Coalition (Casa-Ce) was founded in 2012 by Mr Abel Chivukuvuku, who was last month sacked as its leader.

Was approved

The Casa-Ce coordinator for judicial and constitutional affairs, Mr Alexandre Sebastião, said the removal of Mr Chivukuvuku was approved by all the five party affiliates.

“The five parties said they no longer agreed with Mr Abel Chivukuvuku’s leadership style," Mr Sebastião said, adding that "he was sacked for loss of trust and for behaving in a way that did not promote unity.”

Casa-Ce affiliates include the Party for Democracy and Development of Angola-Patriotic Alliance (PADDA-AP) and the Free Alliance for Angolan Majority Party (PALMA).

The National Salvation for Angola Party (PNSA), the Angolan Pacific Party (PPA) and the National Alliance for Angolan Progress Democratic Party (PDP-ANA) and the Democratic Bloc (BD) are also part of Casa-Ce.

End of the war

The country’s Constitutional Court ruled against the independents' affiliation to Casa-Ce, as it was a coalition of parties and not of individuals.

Angola's politics continues to be dominated by the ruling MPLA party and Unita, the former guerrilla unit turned into a party.

Casa-Ce emerged third in Angola's 2017 General Election after garnering 9.4 percent vote.

MPLA won with 61.07 per cent, with Unita coming second with 26.7 percent vote.

The 2017 poll was Angola's fourth since independence from Portugal in 1975 and the third since the end of the war in 2002.