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18-Jun-2004

Opposition parties reject need for new constitution

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Angola: The Campaign for a Democratic Angola - a George Soros-backed coalition of opposition parties and civil society organisations - on 8 June convened a meeting in Luanda of over 200 people. The meeting issued a declaration including the recommendation that the drafting of a new constitution should only take place after the next Angolan elections.

According to a press release issued by the campaign's coordinator, Rafael
Marques, "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".

The meeting also called for elections to take place next year, and an
immediate start to the process of convening an electoral commission.

Currently there is stalemate over this issue. The Angolan government,
which includes representatives of the second largest parliamentary party,
UNITA, is demanding that a number of minimum conditions must be met before
any new elections. In particular, it has demanded a new constitution be
adopted along with a new electoral law. The government also points out
that the country needs to improve its basic infrastructure and state
administration needs to be returned throughout the country. Only then can
voters be registered, ready for elections. According to government
sources, this process will take at least 24 months.

In contrast, UNITA in its role as opposition, in May walked out of the
parliamentary Constitutional Commission, which has the effect of further
delaying progress.