Theoretically the supreme body within the MPLA-PT, the party congress was actually controlled by top party officials. Following its first regular session in 1977 and an extraordinary session in 1980, the party congress was expected to convene once every five years. Most of the 630 delegates to the 1985 SecondÍÍÍÍ Party Congress were elected from among provincial committees, with most members of the Central Committee and all members of the Political Bureau as delegates. The party congress was responsible for setting the party's overall policy direction, confirming the Political Bureau's choice of party chairman and president, and electing the Central Committee members, who retained the decision-making authority of the party congress between sessions.

Data as of February 1989