Angola: Angolan political and civic forces reject a new constitution before elections

Campaign for a Democratic Angola

PRESS RELEASE

Summit in Luanda of Civil Society and Political Leaders Issues Conclusions, Recommendations on Constitutional, Electoral Issues

LUANDA, 10 June 2004

On 8 and 9 June 2004, the Campaign for a Democratic Angola convened the
Angolan civil society and political parties to discuss the status of elections and electoral reform, as well as plans for Constitutional reform.

With over 200 participants in attendance, including key figures from over fifteen political parties and members of civil society organizations, the two-day Conference concluded with the issuing of declarations and recommendation regarding the most appropriate way to proceed with the drafting of a new Constitution, and the imperative nature of holding national elections in 2005. The recommendations also addressed other critical matters of central interest to the Angolan population.

Regarding the drafting of a new Constitution, the declaration issued by Conference participants stated that the Constitution and Constitutional drafting process belong to the people of Angola. Therefore, any Constitutional revisions need to be carried out by a legitimately elected Legislature in close consultation with the people. The declaration further questioned the authority of the current Legislature, which was elected in 1992 but continues to function despite the expiration of its four-year mandate, to draft and approve a new Constitution.

Regarding the scheduling of elections, Conference participants overwhelmingly agreed that the government should schedule them for 2005, and should immediately start the process of convening an electoral commission. They also acknowledged that any Constitutional crisis could thus be avoided, by having a legitimate Legislature take on that task as one of its initial activities.

Other statements agreed upon by Conference participants included a call to an immediate ceasefire in Cabinda as a necessary condition for the holding of free elections; the dismantling of the Civil Defense Force; the need to revise the country’s national emblems; the immediate start to a disarmament campaign within the civilian population; the separation of partisan representatives from the national media governance bodies; and the respect to the neutrality of traditional meeting places and leader’s homes, by disallowing the placement of any political party flag in those localities.

Conference organizers also held straw polls during the course of the deliberations, both to gauge the attitudes and opinions of participants, and to offer a true exercise in the mechanics of a voting process. The results of the straw polls indicated strong support for the central theses advanced at the Conference: 83% of cast votes favored either postponing the Constitutional revision process until after the election of a new Legislature or at most undertaking a partial revision to address the national emblems issue; and 81% of cast votes called for the convening of an electoral commission in either 2004 or by the first quarter of 2005.

Further information on the recommendations, straw polls and declarations, including copies of the declarations in English, is available upon request.

Contact: Rafael Marques

Coordinator, Campaign for a Democratic Angola
[email protected] Tel: +244 91 331 034 Fax: +244 2 432078