The Angolan government is preparing the mechanisms needed to run
presidential and parliamentary elections. The last elections were held in
1992, although the electoral process was not completed due to UNITA's return
to war.
A major advance was made on 28 January when the Constitutional
Commission of the country's parliament, the National Assembly, agreed on the
future role of the President. Under the adopted agreement, Angola will
remain a semi-presidential system, with both a President and a Prime
Minister. As is the case currently, the President will be the Head of
Government.
The Commission still has to look at issues such as the national
symbols. The Constitutional Commission will shortly hand over its work to a
technical commission that will draw up the final constitution for
ratification by the National Assembly.
With agreement on the constitution, preparation is now underway for
putting into place the necessary technical bodies for running the elections.
On 29 January Paulo Soma was sworn in as the National Director of
Elections in the Ministry of Territorial Administration. The Angolan News
Agency, ANGOP, quoted the Minister of Territory Administration, Faustino
Muteka, as saying that "With the end of the armed conflict and the normal
functioning of state institutions, the ministry should be prepared for the
tasks leading us to the next elections, including the electoral census".
After the ceremony Paulo Soma called on civil society to participate
in preparing for elections. He warned that the database of statistics is
disorganised and will have to be updated to facilitate electoral
registration.
The scale of the problem is clear: around 2.8 million people are still
internally displaced, half a million people still living in neighbouring
countries as refugees, and hundreds of thousands of people have for many
years lived in zones controlled by UNITA. Many people do not have identity
documents, and much of the country is inaccessible due to impassable roads
and bridges. There is also the question of the huge cost of the registration
process, which has to be successful in order to satisfy political parties
that it is being carried out in a non-partisan manner.
The Angolan government is keen to hold the elections as soon as
possible, perhaps in 2004. However, Angola's President, Jose Eduardo dos
Santos, is currently consulting with political parties and civil society
with a view to reaching an agreed date.
UNITA, which will be the main contender to the MPLA in the elections,
has indicated that it would prefer the elections to be delayed until 2006.
UNITA's parliamentary leader, Jeronimo Wanga, speaking on the radio
station LAC stated that the necessary conditions for holding free and fair
elections could not be created in 2004. He said that the need for a new
constitutional law, a new census, and the need for the displaced population
to return to their homes are a precondition that cannot be met in 2004.
It is not yet known who will stand in the presidential elections, with
both the MPLA and UNITA undecided over who their candidates will be.
Although Jose Eduardo dos Santos has previously indicated that he will
not stand for re-election, there are growing signs that he may change his
mind. MPLA Information Secretary Norberto dos Santos "Kwata Kanawa" recently
stated that dos Santos continues to be the party's natural candidate for the
presidential elections, and would remain so unless the party leadership
takes a different decision. There is due to be a Congress of the MPLA in
December at which the party will decide on its candidate.
UNITA has still to decide on who will be its candidate. Since the
death of its leader Jonas Savimbi on 22 February the organisation has made
progress in reuniting around a collective leadership known as the UNITA
Political Commission, with its effective leader being Secretary General,
Paulo Lukamba Gato.
However, Gato has surprised many by announcing to the Political
Commission that he intends not to stand for the post of UNITA presidential
candidate. Another front-runner, Isaias Samakuva, has hinted that he will
not run either. This would open the way for Abel Chivukuvuku to run,
unopposed, for the post of presidential candidate when UNITA holds its
conference in June.
There is currently a consensus among political commentators that UNITA
has little chance of winning the elections. It is still blamed by many
Angolans for the destruction of the country and for war crimes committed
under the leadership of Jonas Savimbi, and has no functioning infrastructure
in much of the country
