24 July 2006

Angola Elections on Track Despite Impediments, U.S. Officials Say

People have "bled enough," are ready for democracy, diplomat asserts

By Jim Fisher-Thompson
Washington File Staff Writer

Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith (File photo ©AP/WWP)

Washington -- Angola is making significant progress toward long-anticipated elections despite severe "impediments" caused by a 27-year civil war that displaced millions of people and left the country's infrastructure destroyed and its territory strewn with countless land mines, U.S. officials told a Congressional subcommittee July 20.

"The people of Angola have bled enough and are ready to move forward" on their road to democracy and economic prosperity, Dan Mozena, director of the State Department's Office of Southern African Affairs, told the House International Relations Africa Subcommittee, which was looking into "Angola's Long-Delayed Elections."

Mozena said there were "serious impediments to conducting elections in Angola," such as the ongoing resettlement of 4 million citizens displaced by the civil war and clearing of land mines that restrict movement and agriculture.

But these impediments "can be and are being overcome.  Progress is being made, and I think these elections can move forward," he told lawmakers.

After Angola achieved independence from Portugal in 1975, a bloody civil war erupted between the central Angolan government and a rebel movement led by Jonas Savimbi.  After a cease-fire in 1992, the only election the country experienced was negated that year when loser Savimbi fled to the bush and resumed military action.  Peace finally came only after Savimbi was killed in 2002, but the country still suffers the effects of a devastated infrastructure caused by the conflict.

Despite that history, Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith said, "There are some positive signs that this election may succeed." And he added that Congress is "united in our interest in helping Angola enjoy the lasting benefits of peace and achieving the kind of economic development … it deserves after so many decades of war and suffering."

Responding to Representative Barbara Lee's comment that she was "puzzled that the election continues to be postponed," Mozena said the Angolans have "set very high standards" for the balloting -- "maybe too high."

Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos set a deadline of December 31, 2007, for the nation's parliamentary and presidential elections, and "it appears unlikely that elections will be held in 2006," Mozena told the House panel.

However, "while there remains uncertainty regarding the date of elections, the government of Angola continues to take important steps to prepare for the process," Mozena emphasized.

Those steps include passing electoral laws in 2005, establishing an 11-member National Election Commission and passing a press law in 2006 that "provides the initial framework for the licensing of independent radio stations throughout the country," necessary for "the energetic discussion of political issues," Mozena said.

In addition, millions of people have been resettled and land-mine clearance is running apace, with the goal of making Angola "land-mine-risk free" by 2011, he said.

Angolan Ambassador Josefina Diakite told the subcommittee that 360,000 of the 450,000 refugees who fled the country during the civil war have been repatriated and resettled.  At the same time, she said, "the issue of land mines has been the government's top priority in the post-conflict era, since they hinder the movement of people across the country.  As proof of this commitment, an executive commission for [land mine removal] was established."

Mozena added that there are also "signs of progress on anti-corruption and transparency efforts" -- important, considering that Angola is one of the world's largest diamond and oil producers, exporting more than 350,000 barrels of oil a day to the United States.  "We will continue to assist Angola to reach its potential," he said, "and look forward to working with the Angolan government in building a more democratic, transparent and prosperous society."

Paul Bonicelli, deputy assistant administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, told the House panel, "Decades of civil war have also left Angola in the position of being a relative latecomer to democratic electoral processes."

Yet, "over the past 18 months, the Angolan government has taken concrete steps in preparation for elections," in which civil society played an important role, he said.

Bonicelli said the Bush administration is supporting the electoral process with a $3 million grant, in addition to the close to $8 million already devoted to supporting democracy programs in the southern African nation since 2001.

In Angola, he explained, USAID works through American nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), such as the International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), IFES (formerly the International Foundation for Election Systems) and Search for Common Ground, which partner with local NGOs to train election workers.

They have provided technical and project management training, as well as voter education materials, to six civil-society electoral networks in the provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Huambo, Bie, Uige and Lund-Sul, emphasizing voter registration, democratic principles and citizen rights and "promoting political dialogue."  They also are providing training to Angolan political parties on codes of conduct and dispute resolution techniques, Bonicelli said.

The aid official said U.S. government support for the elections has been limited, "given the Angolan government's substantial ability to directly fund" the elections from its substantial revenues as the second-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa.

But he pledged: "USAID intends to maintain robust support for the Angolan electoral process through election day and will support inclusive political competition and promote good governance at all levels of the Angolan government through the foreseeable future."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programmes, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)