The Casa-Ce alliance, a third political force in Angola, has selected André Mendes de Carvalho as its new leader ahead of the 2022 general elections. The move comes as the coalition prepares to contest the polls as a unified party.
Carvalho's appointment follows the dismissal of former leader Abel Chivukuvuku, who was removed in March 2019 after affiliates cited a loss of confidence and divisive behavior. The alliance's five member parties approved his removal, according to Alexandre Sebastião, the coalition's judicial affairs coordinator.
Casa-Ce, formed in 2012, includes factions such as the Party for Democracy and Development of Angola-Patriotic Alliance (PADDA-AP) and the Free Alliance for Angolan Majority Party (PALMA). It also encompasses the National Salvation for Angola Party (PNSA), the Angolan Pacific Party (PPA), the National Alliance for Angolan Progress Democratic Party (PDP-ANA), and the Democratic Bloc (BD).
The coalition faced legal challenges when Angola's Constitutional Court ruled against its structure, as it was deemed a party alliance rather than an individual-based organization. Despite this, Casa-Ce emerged as the third-largest political force in the 2017 general election, securing 9.4% of the vote.
Angola's political landscape remains dominated by the ruling MPLA and the former guerrilla group Unita, which has transitioned into a political party. The 2017 poll marked the country's fourth general election since independence from Portugal in 1975 and the third since the 2002 end of the civil war.
