ANGOLA: BRIEFS FROM THE ELECTION (2)
- Earlier on Saturday, the main opposition party, UNITA, announced its intention to impugnate the election, claiming a “collapse” of the process in the capital, Luanda, and “numerous cases of organisational failures, forceful prevention of some electors from exercising their right to vote, violence and political intolerance” in the 18 provinces, of which they were in the process of collecting evidence to submit to the Constitutional Court. Part of these claims were seconded by the leader of the FNLA, Ngola Kabango, who, short of calling for an impugnation, expressed his party’s disposition to issue a last appeal to the National Electoral Commission (CNE) to rescue the elections in a legal and legitimate manner”.
- The calls for impugnation by the opposition were rejected by the ruling party, MPLA, stating that “all is being done according to the law”, and, among other personalities, by Cardinal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento, who said: “I have followed the elections in Luanda and Malange and from the information I have, there was enormous civility and we gave a great example to the world and a good show of culture.” He further stated that “there are organs to solve any problems that might occur and there is no reason for some politicians to attempt to totally spoil the process just to serve their interests. All must be done as it has been so far, with culture, understanding and fraternal spirit. (…) The quality expected from a politician is, above all, patriotic sense and the ability to serve the greater good, the nation.”
- Meanwhile, the head of the EU observing mission, Luisa Morgantini, announced the decision to hold the publication of their preliminary summary report on the elections for 24 hours. Morgantini also reassured the public, after her potentially explosive statements yesterday, that "the data we have from the entire country are positive in terms of participation and lack of incidents in the polling stations." On their part, the observers from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) declared the election “credible, peaceful and transparent” and the president of the CNE, Caetano de Sousa, announced the closing of the elections in the country today, stating that “the electoral process shows a positive balance in its generality.” He also corrected the number of polling stations in Luanda which had to carry on the process today (48 instead of 320, as announced yesterday) and acknowledged the call for impugnation of the election by UNITA, which he said will be considered by the CNE in due course.
- Earlier on Saturday, the main opposition party, UNITA, announced its intention to impugnate the election, claiming a “collapse” of the process in the capital, Luanda, and “numerous cases of organisational failures, forceful prevention of some electors from exercising their right to vote, violence and political intolerance” in the 18 provinces, of which they were in the process of collecting evidence to submit to the Constitutional Court. Part of these claims were seconded by the leader of the FNLA, Ngola Kabango, who, short of calling for an impugnation, expressed his party’s disposition to issue a last appeal to the National Electoral Commission (CNE) to rescue the elections in a legal and legitimate manner”.
- The calls for impugnation by the opposition were rejected by the ruling party, MPLA, stating that “all is being done according to the law”, and, among other personalities, by Cardinal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento, who said: “I have followed the elections in Luanda and Malange and from the information I have, there was enormous civility and we gave a great example to the world and a good show of culture.” He further stated that “there are organs to solve any problems that might occur and there is no reason for some politicians to attempt to totally spoil the process just to serve their interests. All must be done as it has been so far, with culture, understanding and fraternal spirit. (…) The quality expected from a politician is, above all, patriotic sense and the ability to serve the greater good, the nation.”
- Meanwhile, the head of the EU observing mission, Luisa Morgantini, announced the decision to hold the publication of their preliminary summary report on the elections for 24 hours. Morgantini also reassured the public, after her potentially explosive statements yesterday, that "the data we have from the entire country are positive in terms of participation and lack of incidents in the polling stations." On their part, the observers from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) declared the election “credible, peaceful and transparent” and the president of the CNE, Caetano de Sousa, announced the closing of the elections in the country today, stating that “the electoral process shows a positive balance in its generality.” He also corrected the number of polling stations in Luanda which had to carry on the process today (48 instead of 320, as announced yesterday) and acknowledged the call for impugnation of the election by UNITA, which he said will be considered by the CNE in due course.
12 comments:
Parabéns ao Povo Angolano.
Julgo saber que o acto eleitoral decorreu, na generalidade, em paz.
Essa é a grande vitória de Angola.
Quanto aos resultados, esses já não agradam a muita gente.
O voto era para o Povo.
Os resultados para os Partidos.
O Povo cumpriu, e bem.
Os Partidos que se amanhem, sem chatear o Povo.
Cumpram.
Although we can all be thankful that the elections were peaceful without any (or very few) incidents of violence during the polling, BBC News reports today that Richard Howitt, head of the EU Election Observer Mission has condemned the elections as being neither fair nor transparent.
Observer condemns Angola election
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7603735.stm
How can there be so much disparity between all of these official election observer groups? Does each group have a different set of criteria for what a free and fair democratic election looks like?
Ora bem umBhalane, disse tudo!
Os partidos que se amanhem, sem chatearem o Povo!
A maka e' que nao sei ate' que ponto os partidos perdedores vao aprender e apreender bem esta licao e passar a chatear mais o partido ganhador nos proximos 4 anos no parlamento (ou fora dele, para aqueles que nao vao conseguir assento parlamentar), para que o povo nao se chateie mais com eles nas proximas legislativas...
BRE,
I have the impression that from the generality of observer mission reports there are no major discrepancies. All seem to converge, with some nuances of language, on something like this: "There were a number of instances of organisational failure, particularly in Luanda, and other problems all around the country. However, none of these problems, organisational or otherwise, were of such order to question the validity of the process in their generality."
Of course, what exactly "free, fair, democratic, transparent, etc" mean is all very relative to the particular standards being used by each individual observer... Nevertheless, I think it is fair to assume that at least within each observer mission there is a common set of criteria for evaluation as they are supposed to issue a common final assessment report on the elections overall.
Now, I read the piece by BBC you mention here, and it emerges that Howitt is not the "head of the EU mission", the head is Luisa Morgantini, who says that Howitt allegations (based on what he says he saw in Cabinda as an individual observer of the EU mission) will be dully investigated and that the EU final full report will be issued only in two months time.
However, Morgantini reiterated today, as head of the EU mission, that the elections were "transparent", represented an "advance for peace", "people voted in all liberty", "there were no signs of violence" adn "we will not invalidate the electoral process".
Here:
http://www.angonoticias.com/full_headlines_.php?id=20914
Ooops! Sorry about that little error with Richard Howitt's official title.
The UNITA leader Isaias Samakuva has accepted the results of the election in a hastily arranged press conference. What is important here is despite any irregularities i.e. the reported incidents in Cabinda and the problems with over 300 polling stations in the capital Luanda, the people of Angola have shown the world that they want peace and are willing to use the rule of law to achieve their political objectives.
This is great and it sets a good example for all of Africa. However; I would still like to know the 'truth'. How many parliamentary seats would the UNITA party have garnered in these elections IF the campaigning and the polls were conducted in a truly 'free and fair' manner?
Bill, my friend:
As you know, the 'truth' is rarely 'pure' and 'never' simple... In any case, I've just posted the EU observers' preliminary report and hope it will help you to get round the IF you pose.
In any case, let me just say this: generally speaking, Luanda (where the most irregularities were observed) was never a UNITA electoral stronghold. Their traditional strongholds were particularly the rural areas of Huambo and Bie' provinces, but for many years there is a common perception that their return to war in 1992 cost them dearly in terms of popular support in those areas. Another interesting observation is that, Cabinda (another province where reportedly there were irregularities) has never been their stronghold either, however, look at the results so far in those provinces:
UNITA MPLA
Luanda 14,17 78,63
Huambo 13,5 82,05
Bie' 18,13 74,9
Cabinda 33,0 60,93
So...
Sorry, the numbers didn't come up well aligned, but I hope you can make sense of them.
In any case you can double check them in either of these addresses:
http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/pt_pt/especiais/eleicoes/index.html
http://www.cne.ao/
Koluki
Obrigado pela deferência do comentário da semana.
Obrigado também pela visita ao MPT, seu comentário sempre lúcido, e novamente referência gratificante.
Sou partidáro da comunicação flagrante, e diversificada.
Por isso fiquei mesmo muito contente.
E escrevi:
"Cara Koluki
Muito obrigado.
É com enorme prazer que a vejo intervir neste sítio.
Sinto-me muito contente com isso, mesmo muito feliz.
A diversidade de opiniões, a troca de diferentes perspectivas, o seu saber, a transparência e objectividade dos seus escritos, trazem valor acrescentado ao Moçambique para Todos.
Como Angolana, como cidadão do mundo que sei que é, esperamos doravante mais intervenções suas.
Espero que Todos os Amigos de Moçambique a visitem também em:
http://koluki.blogspot.com/
Vai ser maningue bom.
Posted by: umBhalane | 11-09-2008 at 19:34
Obrigado.
umBhalane!
Entao andava eu durante todo este tempo a corresponder-me com o editor do Mocambique Para Todos sem o saber????
Bom, a culpa so' pode ser minha por nao o ter visitado antes.
Mais uma vez muito obrigada pela honra que me tem concedido e pelas contribuicoes 'anonimas' que a este blog tem dado.
Espero que todos os amigos deste blog o visitem tambem:
http://www.macua.blogs.com/moambique_para_todos/
Vai ser bwe bom!
Um abraco e muito obrigada.
Koluki
Olhe que o editor, do blog Moçambique para Todos, é o Sr. Fernando Gil.
Eu apenas sou um assíduo frequentador, e comento de quando em vez.
Um abraço.
Ah bon?
Eu presumi que o umBhalane era o editor porque num comentario a um post sobre as eleicoes em Angola dizia algo como "coloquei primeiro as declaracoes do Cardeal", isto em referencia as declaracoes de um constitucionalista.
Mas, se me diz que nao e' o editor, entao nao e'. E de facto retira-me assim do embaraco em que me senti quando depois de ter feito essa presuncao me lembrei das minhas insistencias para que abrisse o seu proprio blog.
Aproveito para as reiterar.
Um abraco.
Está tudo esclarecido.
Um abraço para si também.
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