NDI - Angola

Citizenship (Angola)

fgalleto — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:47:16 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

04/01/2011

Resource Type:

Newsletter

Language:

Portuguese

Attachment	Size
Citizenship Feb./March 2011	967.12 KB
Citizenship April/May 2011	808.74 KB

Angolan Parliamentary Delegation in US | April 13, 2011

fgalleto — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:10:56 +0000

Angola Press | Link to story »

"MPs of the National Assembly (Angolan parliament) is paying since Monday a visit to US at the invitation of the National democratic Institute (NDI).

"According to a press note released to Angop on Tuesday, the delegation is comprised by eight MPs and it’s led by the head of Economy and Finance Commission, Diógenes de Oliveira."

Link to story »

NDI E-news: Community of Democracies, Burma, Iraq | August 2010

fgalleto — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:14:59 +0000

August 2010

New and Established Democracies Celebrate Past Successes and Look to the Future of Democracy Support

STAY CONNECTED

CONTRIBUTE

Former Polish President Lech Walesa and Madeleine Albright at the 10th anniversary meeting of the Community of Democracies

Community of Democracies Celebrates 10 Years

Representatives
from many of the world's established and new democracies came together
in Krakow, Poland, last month to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the
Community of Democracies, a global coalition
focusing today on meeting challenges to democracy and strengthening the
role of civil society.

NDI Chairman Madeleine K. Albright, who as U.S. secretary of state was an initiator of the organization, spoke at the gathering,
saying "those who are blessed to live in a democracy have an obligation
to repay that blessing by upholding free institutions and by teaching,
protecting, and cherishing democratic values." Read more»

Transatlantic Democracy Dialogue Begins

To
encourage stronger transatlantic ties on democracy support, senior U.S.
and European policymakers came together in Washington, D.C., for the
start of a two-year dialogue to discuss ways to fortify cooperation on
democracy and human rights. The dialogue is chaired by Albright; Jerzy Buzek,
president of the European Parliament; Javier Solana, former European
Union high representative for the common foreign security policy; and Vin
Weber, former congressman and former chairman of the National Endowment
for Democracy (NED). It is organized by NDI with primary
support from the European Commission and the NED. The
dialogue will, through a series of conferences and working papers,
produce actionable recommendations for improving democracy support
programs. Read more»

Commemorating the Frost-Solomon Task Force

Frost (left) and Rep. David Price (center) speak to Ibrahim Samadi, a participant in the parliamentary research service institute from Afghanistan.

The
benefits of transatlantic cooperation were celebrated in early June at a
commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Frost-Solomon Task Force,
which provided assistance from the U.S. Congress to new parliaments in
Central and Eastern Europe emerging from communist rule. Its programs
were based on the principle that successful democratic transitions in
the former communist countries depended on the establishment of
effective democratic legislatures. Former Rep. Martin Frost, for whom the task force was named along with the late Rep. Gerald Solomon, attended the commemoration in Warsaw, Poland, along with
representatives from 10 of the former Soviet bloc countries. Read more »

Toward Better Parliamentary Research Services

Many
of the representatives from the original Frost-Solomon countries stayed
in Warsaw to share their experiences during a week-long parliamentary
institute organized by the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), a
successor to the task force. Representatives from 11 parliaments on
four continents, all HDP partner parliaments, took part in the institute
that focused on developing and strengthening parliamentary research
services. "Where democratic governance has taken root...commissions such
as ours can provide an added boost by sharing our own experiences, good
and bad," said Rep. David Price, chairman of HDP. Read more »

NDI Analysis: Burma's Electoral Framework is Fundamentally Undemocratic

A
new NDI report found that Burma's new election laws and constitution
have created a framework that is fundamentally undemocratic for the
first national elections to be held in the country since 1990. Based on
a legal and human rights analysis, NDI concluded that the election
process will not be a step forward and risks being yet another setback
in a country that has been governed by the military for almost half a
century. The process "is clearly designed to guarantee a pre-determined
outcome and, therefore, does not meet even the minimum of international
standards," the report said.

Read the full report »

New Technologies Create Opportunities, Risks in Democracy Support

Speaking at a panel at the Krakow Community of Democracies meeting, NDI Chief Technology Officer Chris Spence explored the role of technology in democratic development and the challenges and opportunities it poses in closed societies. Spence also addressed the importance of using technologies in new and emerging democracies using examples from Afghanistan and Uganda.

He noted that while technology can provide useful tools, to be most effective they must be used to support well-organized "off-line" activities by civil society groups.

Read Spence's remarks »

In Angola, Radio Program Connects 'Parliament and Me'

"Parliament
and Me," a new radio talk show in Angola, is working to establish a
connection between elected representatives and their constituents as the
country rebuilds after a 27-year civil war. NDI partnered with Radio
Ecclesia, a capital city radio station with a wide audience, to create
the weekly program, which educates citizens about the role of
parliament.

The
program also explores historical, political and legal issues that many
Angolans may not be familiar with, such as the origins of the Angolan
parliament, the laws it has passed and the impact of women parliamentarians.

In Macedonia, New Legislative Research Institute to Aid Lawmakers

Macedonia is working to establish a professional parliamentary research service that will
enhance the ability of its legislature to advance democratic
governance in the country. The parliament is undertaking a
three-year project to create such a service, which will help lawmakers obtain
the necessary information to generate and amend legislation, oversee
public expenditures and monitor how laws are carried out.

The
research service is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation and implemented by NDI and its Macedonian partner, the
Institute for Parliamentary Democracy.

Iraqis Discouraged by Post-Election Government Negotiations

Iraqis
are becoming increasingly frustrated about the delay in the formation
of a new government and a majority of them believe that the country is
headed in the wrong direction, according to a recent public opinion poll
conducted by NDI.

Among
the survey's other findings, 42 percent of those polled thought Ayad
Allawi, representing the Iraqiyya coalition, which got the most votes in
the March 7 elections, should become the next prime minister, compared
to 14 percent who supported current Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki. The most
important problem facing average Iraqis, they said, is delivery of basic
services.

Increasing Women's Political Participation Around the Globe

Part of NDI's core mission is working with women around the world to help them gain leadership skills and access to power:

Afghan Women Seek Major Role in Peace-building:
Women from 33 of the country's 34 provinces attended a symposium in
Kabul, Afghanistan, to find ways to ensure that women's rights are integrated into the government-initiated peace and reconciliation process. They listed 13 recommendations for the Afghan government to
follow to address women's needs.

Coalition Boosts Effort to Implement Gender Quota Law in Burkina Faso:
Last year the legislature in Burkina Faso passed a law requiring that
30 percent of candidates on political party lists be women. Now, a
coalition is suggesting ways to fully implement the law.

Middle Eastern Women Gain Political Inspiration in Wisconsin: A
group of young women from across the Middle East who aspire to
political careers spent two weeks at a leadership retreat in Madison,
Wisc., the culmination of a year-long Young Women Leaders Academy.
There, they learned from elected women leaders about public service and
political campaigns.

Mayan Women Train One Another to Increase Their Political Voice:
To help overcome the political and economic challenges facing Mayan
women in Guatemala, NDI has published a series of training guides to
help equip the women with the concrete skills they need to pursue
political leadership opportunities.

Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors Launches

In
more than 90 countries, millions of citizens have joined nonpartisan
election monitoring efforts to safeguard electoral integrity, hold
government accountable, mitigate politically motivated violence and
promote the right of citizens to participate in public life.

For the first time, those groups have joined together to form the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors, which launched a website
this month that compiles thousands of documents, manuals and best
practices. As the site continues to evolve, domestic election monitors
around the world will be able to exchange information, form
relationships and continue to learn from each other.

Multimedia Not To Miss

Be sure to check out:

Pop star Bobi Wine performs his song, "A Serious Matter," to help promote peaceful elections and the use of an NDI-supported election hotline in Uganda.

A short video
highlights the interaction between citizens and members of parliament
in Cambodia as part of a NDI's constituency dialogue program.

Democracy Updates | Partner Spotlights | In-Country Perspectives |

Democracy Dialogue | Publications | Employment

In Angola, Radio Program Connects 'Parliament and Me'

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:14:45 +0000

“Parliament and Me,” a new radio talk show in Angola, is working to establish a connection between elected representatives and their constituents as the country rebuilds after a 27-year civil war. The hostilities, which ended in 2002, left the country with its infrastructure in pieces, no nationwide communications network and a lack of certified professionals in everything from accounting to medicine to construction. Now, citizens are looking for ways to participate in the political process to shape their country and benefit from its economic growth.

In a historic step toward a more democratic political system, Angolans held elections for their national parliament in 2008, the first parliamentary poll since 1992. But midway through their first term, the lawmakers and citizens were not interacting with one another, leading parliament to look for ways for citizens and members of parliament (MPs) to come together. No mechanism existed that allowed MPs to explain what they were doing on the job every day.

Similarly, citizens felt disconnected from their representatives. They lacked a connection to the political system and didn’t see any direct connection between government and their everyday lives.

That’s where “Parliament and Me” came in. NDI partnered with Radio Ecclesia, a local radio station with a wide audience in the capital city, and a local, independent radio producer to create the weekly radio program, which educates citizens about the role of parliament. The talk show encourages citizens to link issues they are concerned about and advocacy to the National Assembly. It also provides an objective, balanced presentation of issues being addressed by the parliament.

Each episode of “Parliament and Me” features one MP, interviewed by a journalist, who answers pre-taped questions from citizens and talks about what he or she does during the day and which issues are of particular interest. More than 15 MPs have been interviewed from the five political parties with seats in the National Assembly.

The program is popular among both MPs and listeners. MPs like the format, which gives them a rare platform to talk about their work and initiatives. Deputy Lina Alexandre from the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) said that the program will help citizens to see the parliament as more than just a place for politicians to talk because it shows the daily tasks that engage them.

Deputy Ngola Kabango, bench leader for the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), said the mixture of interviews, statements from MPs and comments by legal experts illuminates the country’s political context and highlights what he considers the healthy environment of fair play that exists in parliament.

Listeners like it because it gives them a window into what elected leaders are doing. “Many listeners doubted that they would ever hear MP Norberto dos Santos ‘Kwata Kanawa,’ the current minister of parliamentary affairs, participating in an Ecclesia program,” said Walter Cristovão, the producer of the program. “The program has already circulated messages from the five political parties in parliament, namely the MPLA, UNITA, Social Renewal Party New Democratic Electoral Coalition and the FNLA, bringing MPs closer to citizens.”

The program also explores historical, political and legal issues that many Angolans may not be familiar with otherwise. “Parliament and Me” has covered the origins of the Angolan parliament, the laws it has passed and their importance, the impact of having 39 percent women MPs, and parliament and its role in the fight against corruption, among other topics.

As the show continues to gain audience and popularity, Radio Ecclesia is hoping that citizens will connect issues in their daily lives to actions that their MPs can take, will advocate and petition the parliament accordingly, and will hold members accountable.

Listen to clips of the radio programming (In Portuguese)

Intro to the radio program and its objectives

The role and functions of parliamentary committees

The role of the 5th Committee (Economy and Finance); how to contact MPs; and the oversight role of parliament

The newly-approved Probity Law

The role of the women’s caucus

The role of MPs who represent provincial constituencies; how constituency offices work; and how citizens may contact MPs in the provinces. This selection includes an interview with an MP representing Benguela

A mix of additional selections from the radio program

Pictured Above: Members of Parliament in the Angolan National Assembly

Published July 28, 2010

Isabel Emerson

ggreene — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:49:39 +0000

Isabel Emerson is NDI's resident director in Angola. In her role, she works with political parties and civic organizations to promote public input in the policy process and increase interaction between citizens and their elected representatives. She also worked with Angolan nonpartisan election monitoring groups and civil society organizations on voter education programs in the lead up to the country's historic elections after decades of war.

Before joining NDI, Ms. Emerson worked for the U.N. Development Programme, managing the preparation of Angola's Human Development Report focusing on governance and public administration. She also consulted for the World Bank on programs in Brazil, Mozambique, Venezuela and Zambia.

Ms. Emerson earned her master's in international economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and her bachelor's in economics from the University of Massachusetts. She speaks English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Events

Event: World Affairs Briefing: The Angolan Parliamentary Elections and Prospects for Democratic Development

African Legislatures Work to Promote Extractive Industry Accountability

jbowen — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:11:54 +0000

Decades-long misuse and mismanagement of oil and mining revenues have fueled devastating spirals of corruption, conflict and poverty in many resource-rich countries. Some international efforts, such as the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Campaign, are focusing on these problems through partnerships between industry, government and civil society. But many legislatures, particularly in Africa, are not addressing this critical area - despite the lawmaking and oversight responsibilities that make them uniquely placed to do so.

To assess the ability of legislatures to promote transparency and accountability in this key sector, NDI conducted research in nine African countries -- Angola, Botswana, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa. NDI reviewed legal and other documents and interviewed members of parliament, ministerial officials, and representatives from the private sector, multilateral agencies, and donor and non-governmental organizations. These activities led to the publication, last August, of Transparency and Accountability in Africa's Extractive Industries: The Role of the Legislature. The report summarizes the challenges legislators face in overseeing oil and mining industries, highlights best practices, and offers recommendations for greater engagement and coordination by legislators, civic groups and the international community.

In February, NDI presented the report's best practices and recommendations to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) at a workshop in Arusha, Tanzania, conducted in partnership with the EALA, the Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) and the Parliamentary Network of the World Bank (PNoWB). The EALA is the independent legislative arm of the East African Community, a regional intergovernmental organization that represents Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The workshop participants included EALA members and staff; legislators from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda; industry and legal experts; international representatives; and regional civil society leaders.

Two lively days of deliberations were set against a backdrop of actual events, including ongoing negotiations over the management of oil deposits in Uganda, a government review of Tanzania's mining sector, and the anticipated construction of an oil pipeline between Uganda and Kenya. The workshop ended with the adoption of a 21-point resolution to serve as a blueprint for greater legislative engagement at the regional and national levels in managing industry revenues.

The Institute plans to support the EALA recommendations with technical support for the launch of a regional forum of extractive industry representatives from government, civil society and the private sector; assistance to improve legislation on industry management; and by facilitating contacts between EALA representatives and legislators from EALA member countries with counterparts from countries that have joined the EITI process.

–

Published on July 7, 2008

Forum at NDI Reflects on Conduct of Angolan Election

jbowen — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:28:09 +0000

Speakers representing NDI, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) commended Angolans for conducting largely successful parliamentary elections Sept. 5 despite some procedural and logistical challenges.

NDI’s Angola resident director Isabel Emerson along with Lauren Oing of IRI and Anne Salinas of IFES spoke at a Sept. 26 forum at NDI that also included representatives from the Angolan Embassy and the National Union for the Total Independence for Angola (UNITA), the main Angolan opposition party. They noted areas where the Angolan National Electoral Commission performed well during the September polls and laid out suggestions for how the process could be improved for the presidential election, expected in 2009. Their recommendations included establishment of an election timeline and calendar, acceleration of accreditation for domestic elections observers, more vigorous but peaceful debate and campaigning, and revisions to the 2004 election law.

Pictured above: Isabel Emerson of the National Democratic Institute (left), at the Sept. 26 forum with Anne Salinas of IFES.

—

Published on Oct. 1, 2008

Angola: NDI and Local Partner Monitor Parliamentary Elections

ggreene — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:09:12 +0000

Angolans went to the polls for the first time in 16 years in September to vote for a new parliament. Despite some concerns, the Sept. 5 polls unfolded in a generally peaceful way, much to the credit of citizens who came out to vote in large numbers and political parties that encouraged members to adhere to a strict code of conduct.

However, international and domestic observers reported logistical and organizational challenges and procedural inconsistencies, particularly in the capital. The ruling Movement for the Popular Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won 82 percent of the vote while the main opposition party, the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), won 10 percent.

NDI-Angola worked with its local partner, The National Platform, an Angolan network of provincial election monitoring organizations, to enhance civil society participation in the election process. It supported National Platform efforts to monitor the pre-election period and assisted in the recruiting, training and deploying of observers on election day. NDI trained members of the Platform to prepare them to train observers within their own provinces. “I felt special working as an observer, with the power of persuading officials to proceed according to the law and preventing possible irregularities,” said one short term observer from Luanda province. “I felt important to represent the people and give them trust in the process.”

The Institute also provided election observation materials, including observer manuals, an election terms glossary in Portuguese and five national languages, a video about election monitoring, and observation forms for the day of the election. To accurately capture the information contained in the forms, the National Platform, with support from NDI, organized an election day command center and trained staff to enter data as the forms were received from election observers working in provinces around the country. These activities increased citizen participation and public confidence in the electoral process.

Pictured above: Nonpartisan observers with the National Platform pore over results of the Sept. 5 parliamentary election.

—

Published on Sept. 30, 2008

World Affairs Briefing: The Angolan Parliamentary Elections and Prospects for Democratic Development

ggreene — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:39:43 +0000

Start: 09/26/2008 13:00

End: 09/26/2008 14:30

Timezone: Etc/GMT

Start: 09/26/2008 13:00

End: 09/26/2008 14:30

Timezone: Etc/GMT

Location:

2030 M Street, N.W., Fifth Floor; Washington, D.C.

On September 5, the people of Angola went to the polls for the first time in 16 years to vote for a new parliament. NDI, IRI, and IFES have been working in Angola for many years providing support to civil society organizations, political parties, and election officials as they prepared to engage in this historic election process. While the 1992 elections reignited decades of conflict in Angola, the 2008 polls unfolded in a generally peaceful environment much to the credit of citizens who came out in large numbers to vote and of political parties that encouraged their members to adhere to a strict code of conduct. However, international and domestic observers reported that there were logistical and organizational challenges and procedural inconsistencies, particularly in the capital. The ruling Movement for the Popular Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won 82 percent of the vote while the main opposition party, the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), won 10 percent, altering the balance of power in the country.

During the briefing, speakers will share their assessments of the parliamentary elections and their thoughts on democratic development in Angola.

To RSVP, please contact Jennifer Heetner via phone at (202) 728-5617 or

by email.

Event Date and Time:
Sept. 26, 2008, from 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Panelists:

Isabel Emerson
Resident Country Director, Angola, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Lauren Oing
Program Officer, Africa programs, International Republican Institute (IRI)
Anne Salinas
Acting Regional Director, Africa programs, IFES

Street Address:
National Democratic Institute
2030 M St., N.W.
5th Floor (map)
Nearest Metro: Dupont Circle or Farragut North (Red), Foggy Bottom or Farragut West (Blue/Orange)

<p>A briefing assessing recent parliamentary elections in Angola and the outlook for Angola's evolving democracy. </p>

Jordan: Conference Fosters Information Sharing in Middle East on Technology and Elections

ggreene — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:01:56 +0000

A two-day regional conference in Jordan, hosted by NDI, brought together civic leaders from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, West Bank/Gaza and Yemen to discuss innovative uses of information technology in election monitoring.

The conference, held at the Dead Sea in early December, gave participants the chance to examine technologies used by NDI and its partners in recent elections in Albania, Angola, Lesotho, Madagascar and Sierra Leone. Among the tools demonstrated: custom mobile-phone text messaging to help field observers collect and submit election data, optical scanners to speed the processing of observer forms, and mapping and graphing systems for analysis of observation data.

The participants also presented some of their own pioneering work in using technology, such as text-message election reporting, a web portal developed in Bahrain, a web-based election simulator from Lebanon that incorporates geographic information systems (GIS) to map political data across the country, and a comprehensive plan for text-message reporting of election monitoring forms in Jordan.

The conference also featured roundtable discussions about ways to use technology in election reporting and the challenges organizations face in their monitoring missions.

On the conference’s second day, a representative of MobileActive, a U.S.-based organization focused on the use of mobile phones in politics and civil society, made a presentation on the use of text messages for advocacy as well as dissemination of information among citizens. At a later session, a member of NDI’s technology team talked about observation tools, forms and checklists – and underscored the importance of making technology easy for election observers to use.

NDI staff also provided one-on-one consultations with organizations in attendance to discuss how they could use knowledge gained at the conference in future plans. In addition, conference participants discussed Aswat, an online forum and resource center. The site, established by NDI, fosters conversation about politics and reform in the Arabic-speaking world.

The conference provided “a great opportunity to learn more about new technology tools that have been proven effective in election monitoring,” said Abbas Busafwan of Bahrain. “We also learned about other resources that can contribute to political reform in the region such as the web portal Aswat. I believe this initiative has great potential, due to the fact that it opens a space for activists to join efforts and voice their opinions and share their experiences.”

Another attendee, Nabil Hassan of Lebanon, said his group hopes, through Aswat, “to be able to remain in contact with other NGOs in the region and exchange experiences to improve the application of modern technology and networking.” He added, “I was excited to be introduced to various techniques such as data entry, web forms, form scanning and other reporting tools, and SMS text messaging. We are hoping that we can adopt this technology to monitor elections in Lebanon.”

–

Published on January 24, 2008

Civic Engagement Contributes to Peaceful Election Process in Angola

vrao — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:28:55 +0000

Following three decades of civil war, Angolans went to the polls Sept. 5 for the first time in 16 years. The parliamentary elections unfolded in a largely peaceful manner, much to the credit of citizens who came out in large numbers, political parties that encouraged members to adhere to a strict code of conduct, and local election monitors who were deployed throughout the country.

NDI worked closely with its Angolan partner, The National Platform of Angolan Civil Society for Elections, a network of provincial election monitoring organizations, to encourage citizen involvement in the process and assuage fears that competition would spark violence as it did in 1992 during Angola's first post-independence elections. The Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) did not accept the results of that contest and fighting swiftly returned, unleashing the most brutal period of the country's civil war.

This year, a non-partisan Angolan organization observed elections for the first time. NDI supported the efforts of the Platform to monitor the election process, assisting in the recruitment, training and deployment of more than 1,000 observers in 87 of the country's 164 municipalities. NDI also helped organize an election day command center, where volunteers received and compiled observation data and incident reports sent in by observers from polling stations across the country.

Domestic and international observers reported logistical and organizational challenges and procedural inconsistencies, particularly in the capital, Luanda. But the process was peaceful and UNITA accepted the results, which showed the ruling Movement for the Popular Liberation of Angola (MPLA) receiving 82 percent of the vote compared to 10 percent for UNITA. Three days after the election, a UNITA spokesperson conceded, saying that "despite everything that happened, the leadership accepts the election results and hopes the winning party will govern in the interest of all Angolans."

In the post-election period, NDI is working with the National Platform to organize roundtable discussions with its observers, election specialists, political parties and international observer groups to analyze the performance of the Angolan National Election Commission. In addition, participants will explore ways in which the electoral process can be strengthened in advance of the long-awaited presidential election, expected in 2009.

The Platform also will work to build political support for comprehensive electoral reform by encouraging the establishment of an election timeline and revisions to the constitution and 2004 election law.

The largely successful parliamentary elections have brought greater stability to the country, affording more opportunity for political party growth and democratic engagement by citizens at the municipal level. But the challenges remain, such as how to promote accountability and pluralism in a country governed by a dominant political party.

In addition to monitoring the upcoming presidential election, the National Platform plans to observe municipal polls scheduled for 2010 and will then work with local partners to monitor newly-elected local governments.

Pictured Above: NDI's Simão Andre briefs data entry personnel from the National Platform on election day

–

Published on Dec. 4, 2008

Angola

ggreene — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:22:19 +0000

Following the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002, Angola has experienced astonishing economic growth, primarily due to rising oil production. The scars of the civil war remain, however, in the country’s dilapidated infrastructure, unequal distribution of wealth, and the government’s inability to provide services to citizens. Despite being Africa’s second largest producer of oil, many Angolans continue to live on less than U.S. $2 a day.

Subscribe to updates about Angola

Angola’s first elections in 1992 resulted in a renewal of the civil war after the main opposition party rejected the results of the polls, alleging that the process was not credible even though it had participated in the peace deal process. In September 2008, six years after the the civil war, Angola’s legislative elections marked the country’s second set of elections, providing an opportunity to further sustain peace and advance democratic practices.

In 2010, Angola approved a constitution that protected more freedoms than before. Before general elections in 2012, many of the country’s laws, including the penal and electoral codes, are being reformed to comply with the new constitution. These changes will be crucial in determining how the government resolves conflicts between the new constitutional guidelines and the state’s traditional ruling practices.

Current Activities

Since 1996, NDI has worked closely with Angolan partners to bolster citizen participation in political processes through civic education initiatives, work with legislative leaders, election monitoring and advocacy campaigns on issues like affordable housing, and access to water and medical treatment for HIV. NDI’s current program aims to promote citizen engagement in the local governance level; strengthen the legislative ability of the National Assembly; and improve constituency outreach of provincial representatives in parliament.

To encourage citizen participation, NDI provides ongoing support to Angolan civil society organizations to help citizens more effectively reach out to their members of parliament and other political and local leaders. NDI’s partner groups also educate citizens on the roles and responsibilities of parliament and local government, and, through community meetings and advocacy efforts, work with communities to address how issues of concern.

NDI also works with local independent media to produce and broadcast a weekly radio show, Parliament and Me. The show provides information about the role of the National Assembly as well as discussions on recent laws and ongoing legislative debates, news that is hard to access elsewhere due to a lack of transparency and a restricted media environment.

In Angola, radio program connects 'Parliament and Me'»

To listen to recent episodes of Parliament and Me, in Portuguese, click on one of the links below:

Relations between MPs and Citizens: Comparative Models.

A Parliamentary Committee: What Is It and How Does It Work?

The Nine Permanent Committees of Parliament.

The Newly Proposed Youth Law

The Role of the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus in Combating Domestic Violence and Other Gender-based Issues.

The Need for Parliament to Conduct Oversight Activities and the Problems Inherent in Suspending that Oversight

To complement these radio broadcasts, NDI has begun producing and distributing Citizenship, a bimonthly newsletter on civic and constitutional rights. The newsletters are distributed to citizens in the provinces through NDI’s four civil society partners as well as through a listserv of organizations. With increasingly fewer independent print media outlets in the country, Citizenship helps fill an important informational gap on rights guaranteed under the constitution and the role of government bodies. Read recent editions of the newsletter»

In past years, to bridge the divide between citizens and government, the Institute has worked with parliamentary members and leadership to convene public forums for discussing policy issues. As part of an exchange program with the Institute for Representative Government in April 2011, NDI organized a visit by legislators from a variety of political parties and legislative committees to travel to Washington, D.C., where they met with members and staff of the U.S. Congress, as well as representatives of the foreign policy and international development communities interested in U.S.-Angola relations. The exchange also provided an opportunity for National Assembly members to study the U.S. legislative process and the role of civil society organizations in informing public policymaking, in such areas as budget oversight.

Contact Information

For more information about these programs, use our contact form or contact:

Washington, D.C.
Sylvia T. Panfil, Senior Program Manager
(202) 728-6333

Subscribe to updates about Angola

NDI 2005 Annual Report

vrao — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

12/01/2005

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English

Attachment	Size
Read the report	6.23 MB

New Technology Improving Election Observation in Angola

vrao — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:22:27 +0000

Preparations have begun for Angolan legislative elections in 2008, and a presidential election in 2009. Since 2003, NDI has assisted Angolan civic networks interested in election observation activities. In 2006 the Institute helped establish a coordinating body, the National Platform, to standardize trainings, forms and press statements.

Since the launch of voter registration in November 2006, the National Platform has coordinated observation of the registration process in all 18 provinces. The registration process has provided an opportunity for observers to gain monitoring experience, and for the Platform to test observation and reporting techniques.

Independent observation of electoral processes by nonpartisan civic groups could help build public confidence and improve prospects for credible elections. The last elections, held in 1992, resulted in a decade of violence due to opposition allegations that the process was neither free nor fair. Citizens still largely associate elections with violence, and have expressed lingering fear and anxiety regarding the upcoming polls.

NDI-Angola and the NDI Information and Communications Technology (ICT) team have strategized to help the National Platform develop new tools for data collection and reporting. With NDI’s help, the Platform is beginning to use a computerized data collection system, with scannable observation forms that let the Platform record and sort observation information.

The new technology uses scanners with “intelligent character recognition” software, which reads handwritten data on observation forms and allows the Platform to upload that information to a centralized computer database. The database can process scanned observer reports around the country, reducing data collection time and the potential for human error.

NDI-Angola and the ICT team have given ongoing technical assistance to the National Platform throughout the development of the data-collection system. The Platform has used the voter registration process as a testing period for the system, helping to familiarize observers with the technology in advance of the elections.

With faster access to more accurate data, the National Platform can comment on the integrity of Angolan elections and draft detailed public statements soon after the polls close. This technology can help the Platform — and other election observation groups worldwide — verify vote results quickly, share data more widely, and focus human and financial resources more effectively on monitoring the vote.

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Published on June 22, 2007

Profiting from Africa's Natural Resources

vrao — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 19:16:54 +0000

Why isn’t revenue from oil, gas and mining spurring economic growth and social development in resource-rich African countries?

Why isn’t revenue from oil, gas and mining spurring economic growth and social development in resource-rich African countries?

Many African countries have received billons of dollars in revenues from oil and other natural resources over the last 25 years. Yet, the per capita income of most of these countries remains at less than $3 a day.

In many cases, the lack of accountability and transparency in the management of revenue exacerbates poor governance and often fuels cycles of corruption, conflict and poverty.

And the global demand for Africa’s resources is increasing. In response, Sub-Saharan Africa is increasing its output and by 2015 could supply America with one-quarter of its oil.

The challenge facing democrats in Africa is to prevent corruption in resource-rich states and fight authoritarian governments seeking to consolidate their power by controlling these resources.

In response to this problem, NDI is conducting a program aimed at strengthening transparency and good governance in resource-rich African countries. Specifically, the Institute is identifying effective policies and techniques for overseeing revenues from extractive industries and helping reformers in various countries develop strategies for increasing democratic oversight of these industries.

In countries where revenues and expenditures derived from natural resources are not transparent, NDI and its local partners are identifying the obstacles and publicizing the findings.

The African Extractive Industries program is currently active in Angola, Congo, Chad, Nigeria, Sao Tome & Principe, Sudan, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Sierra Leone and South Africa.

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Published on June 12, 2006

NDI - Angola

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In Angola, Radio Program Connects 'Parliament and Me'

Listen to clips of the radio programming (In Portuguese)

Intro to the radio program and its objectives

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The newly-approved Probity Law

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Isabel Emerson

African Legislatures Work to Promote Extractive Industry Accountability

Forum at NDI Reflects on Conduct of Angolan Election

Angola: NDI and Local Partner Monitor Parliamentary Elections

World Affairs Briefing: The Angolan Parliamentary Elections and Prospects for Democratic Development

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Civic Engagement Contributes to Peaceful Election Process in Angola

Angola

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The Nine Permanent Committees of Parliament.

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Profiting from Africa's Natural Resources