Page:2010 constitution of Angola.djvu/2

 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA

PREAMBLE

We, the people of Angola, through its lawful representatives, the legislators of the nation, freely elected in the parliamentary elections of September 2008;

Aware that these elections are part of the long tradition of the struggle of the Angolan people to achieve their citizenship and independence, proclaimed on 11 November 1975, the date on which the first Constitutional Law in the history of Angola came into force, and courageously preserved through collective sacrifice in the defence of national sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the country;

Having received, by the said popular vote and under the provision contained in Article 158 of the Constitutional Law of 1992, the noble and irrefusable mandate to proceed with the drawing up and approval of the Constitution of the Republic of Angola;

Conscious of the immense importance and great value invested in the creation and adoption of the first and fundamental law of the state and of Angolan society;

Noting that the Constitution of the Republic of Angola is linked to, and a direct part of, the long and enduring struggle of the Angolan people, first to resist colonial occupation, then to achieve the independence and the dignity of a sovereign state, and later to build a democratic state based on the rule of law and a just society in Angola;

Invoking the memory of our ancestors and calling upon the wisdom of the lessons of our shared history, our centuries-old roots and the cultures that have enriched our unity;

Inspired by the best lessons in African tradition – the essence of Angolan culture and identity;

Armed with a culture of tolerance and profoundly committed to reconciliation, equality, justice and development;

Having decided to build a society based on equal opportunities, commitment, fraternity and unity in diversity;

Determined to build together a just and progressive society that respects life, equality, diversity and human dignity; 2/91