Luanda — The Speaker of the Angolan National Assembly (Parliament), Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, on Wednesday here called on MPs to work with discipline, responsibility, justice, open and tolerant spirit, aimed at finding the best solutions to citizens' problems, thus responding to the expectations placed on them as representatives of the people.

"Our people will follow our action and performance very attentively. They bestowed upon us a mandate and they hope that we can deserve their trust, corresponding to the expectations (...)", emphasised the Parliament Speaker, during his speech at the opening of the legislature for the 2008/2012 term.

Fernando Dias dos Santos also stressed that only with discipline, responsibility, justice, open and tolerant spirit, will the best solutions be found to improve the living of citizens.

He reminded that besides the legislative work, the MPs will have as tasks the approval, under the proposal of the government, of the National Plan and the State's General Budget, as well as the supervision of the activities of the Executive and the promotion of a close and permanent relationship with the electorate.

The Speaker added that to achieve good results the National Assembly will have to improve its organisational and functioning level, taking advantage of the work already done by the previous legislature, which lasted for 16 years.

He also reminded that the National Assembly should continue to get involved in diplomatic and interchange activities with the parliaments of other countries and i8n international events.

The Speaker mentioned some of these international institutions, namely the Portuguese Speaking Countries Parliamentary Forum, the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Pan-African Parliament, African Parliamentary Union, the Africa/Caribbean and the Pacific plus the

European Union (ACP/EU) association, as well as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, among others.

On the other hand, Fernando Dias dos Santos pledged to work as a factor of balance and stability, in his capacity as the Parliament Speaker, always guaranteeing unity in diversity, order and timely fulfilment of the missions.

"In the next four years, in this National Assembly, one will witness the interaction of four political parties and one coalition with different programmes (...), but all with the common goal of making Angola a better country and respected internationally", he emphasised.