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INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LUANDA 000166 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF FRONT OFFICE AND AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM AO
SUBJECT: CAROL THOMPSON DISCUSSES ELECTIONS WITH THE 
ANGOLAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, OPPOSITION AND NGOS 
 
REF: LUANDA 163 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Cynthia Efird for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. During AF/DAS Carol Thompson,s visit to 
Angola, the Chairman of the National Election Commission was 
bullish on the success of the voter registration process 
while opposition leaders had reservations about elections in 
general.  Opposition leaders thanked us for our support for 
party strengthening and civic education and requested 
additional USG and international assistance in these areas 
and in securing additional ways to get their message out to 
the population.  The opposition leaders are, as in the past, 
looking for the international community to help them fight 
their battles, but appear to have a more well thought out and 
cohesive stance.  NGO representatives relayed concerns from 
the populations outside provincial capitals where voter 
registration hasn,t yet arrived and no schedule has been 
announced as to when these communities will be registered. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 1, 2007, DAS Carol Thompson discussed 
Angola,s voter registration process and future elections 
with Angolan opposition leaders, National Election Commission 
(CNE) Chairman Caetano de Sousa, and with US-funded 
international NGOs.  Thompson, DCM and poloff also visited 
the CNE headquarters.  Opposition leaders Isaias Samakuva 
(UNITA), Eduardo Kuangana (PRS), Ngola Kabango (FNLA), Analia 
Vitoria Perreira (PLD), Luis Nascimento (FPD), Luis dos 
Passos (PRD), and Sediangani Mbindi (PDP-ANA) participated in 
a roundtable at the US Embassy, and USG-funded NGOs HALO 
Trust, Mine Action Group (MAG), Norwegian People,s Aid 
(NPA), National Democratic Institute (NDI), International 
Republican Institute (IRI)and IOM attended an informal dinner 
with DAS Thompson. 
 
CNE: Decidedly Upbeat on the Elections 
--------------------------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) CNE Chairman Caetano de Sousa was upbeat on the 
voter registration process, noting that registration 
processing efficiency had improved and that he recently saw 
ten people complete registration in just six minutes in one 
station.  De Sousa stressed the importance of getting an 
accurate count of eligible voters and their geographical 
distribution for the CNE to design the plan for the election. 
 He predicted that the CNE would register between seven and 
eight million people this year.  DAS Thompson,s visit is 
featured on the CNE website at www.cne.gv.ao. 
 
¶4. (SBU) De Sousa explained the electoral process: the CNE 
will recommend a date for elections once registration is 
completed, but the Council of Ministers will set the actual 
date.  For logistical reasons, De Sousa believes a month in 
the dry season, e.g., September, would be the most practical. 
 He assured Thompson that the Commission would allow time for 
political campaigning, as well.  With a view to elections in 
2008, everyone who will turn 18 by the end of 2007 is being 
registered, but once a date has been set, the CNE will open a 
special registration period for young voters to capture 
anyone who will turn 18 before election day. 
 
¶5. (SBU) De Sousa also expressed a hope that by election day, 
all polling stations in the country will be linked together 
in a communications network, permitting individual stations 
to relay their votes to the provincial and then the national 
commissions for an immediate tally. 
 
Opposition: Painting a Much Grittier Picture 
------------------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) At an Embassy round table discussion, major 
opposition party leaders took turns voicing their concerns 
about the registration and electoral process to DAS Thompson. 
 PLD President Analia Pereira opened the meeting, noting that 
the elections were important to Angolans as well as to the 
international community in Angola, which wants a certain 
security for their investments.  She said that there remains 
still some fear of violence with elections and that the 
opposition has asked President dos Santos for guarantees that 
the Angolan army has clear rules about how it should and 
should not act during an election.  She acknowledged the 
opposition,s weaker position and noted some of the 
advantages held by the MPLA (better funding, organization, 
government support), characterizing the election as the 
championship game between the first and third division teams. 
 PRD,s Luis dos Passos noted that this is a country highly 
influenced by paternalism and the population identifies 
itself with the government which is now seen to be taking 
better care of them. 
 
¶7. (SBU) FNLA representative Ngola Kambango attacked the 
 
LUANDA 00000166  002 OF 003 
 
 
government for not setting and announcing an election date. 
He had little faith that the Council of the Republic could 
influence the government to name and stick to an election 
date.  Sediangani (PDP-ANA) seconded Kambanga,s comments, 
underscoring the council,s real lack of power, by quoting an 
Angolan joke, &The group goes into the meeting as counselors 
and comes out having been counseled by the President.8  Luis 
Nascimento (FPD) cast his doubts that elections would occur 
in 2008, noting, &Since 2003 we regularly discuss elections, 
and the announcements are always for elections next year.8 
He sadly noted that regular elections should not just be a 
privilege of the west and asked the USG to use its influence 
to press the government for elections as soon as possible. 
UNITA,s Samakuva also expressed doubts that elections would 
occur in 2008, characterizing the President,s announcement 
as just a way to get rid of international pressure. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The PRS,s Eduardo Kuangana discussed the voter 
registration process, noting the challenges to the 
computerized system presented by typical Angolan elements of 
rain, lack of electricity and newness of computers to the 
majority of the population.  He expressed real concern that 
all eligible voters would be successfully registered in the 
six months allotted to the process, noting that in the first 
month not even a million were registered. (Note: During the 
first month 945,000 were registered; total number to be 
registered is estimated at over seven million.)  Kuangano and 
Sediangani led off a heated discussion of the government 
payment of USD 200,000 to each party to help defray costs of 
the parties, registration monitors, noting that it only 
covers half the party,s costs and presented DAS Thompson 
with spreadsheets and calculations to substantiate their 
arguments (See reftel A). 
 
Need International Support for Democracy 
---------------------------------------- 
¶9. (SBU) The parties universally acknowledged the need for 
&serious investment8 in democracy in Angola.  Noting the 
lack of access to the press, Luis dos Passos asked for the 
international community to underwrite an &institute for 
democracy,8 i.e., a center where the opposition could have 
access to internet connections, computers and printers for 
desktop publishing etc.  A number of the party leaders 
stressed the need for continued and increased support for the 
NDI and IRI programs in Angola and also requested our help in 
encouraging the international companies to support democratic 
process. 
 
¶10. (SBU) DAS Thompson thanked the opposition leaders for 
their frank views, acknowledging the challenges they face. 
She reassured them that a fair, free, democratic electoral 
process is a priority for the USG, acknowledging that we are 
also concerned that the calendar has slipped several times. 
DAS Thompson stressed that the USG can and will continue to 
pressure the GRA to set a public timetable.  She said she 
strongly heard their requests for additional training with 
NDI and IRI and understood they believed this would help them 
perform better in the election. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Using the US experience, DAS Thompson said that 
having a political record can also be exploited as a 
detriment, noting that the alternate party can express a new 
point of view; how it can improve the situation.  She 
encouraged the opposition to work together to insure that 
basic milestones are put into place such as increased press 
access, an election timetable and greater decentralization. 
 
NGOs: Reality Checks from the Provinces 
--------------------------------------- 
¶12. (SBU) The NGO reps, who operate extensively in the 
provinces, provided DAS Thompson with overviews of their 
respective programs and relayed concerns they hear in 
Angola,s hinterlands.  Regarding elections, the main concern 
was the lack of a schedule for when brigades would arrive in 
each municipality and information on the deployment of mobile 
brigades.  NDI noted the difficulties presented to the NGO 
groups in planning their voter registration education 
programs and ability to sponsor accredited observers without 
a schedule of brigade movements.  The HALO Trust 
representative noted that in many of the remote 
municipalities she hears doubts as to whether voter 
registration will reach the villages, particularly in those 
provinces considered traditional UNITA strongholds. 
 
¶13. (C) Comment: As evidenced by the wide range of 
viewpoints, there is no easy sound-bite on the Angolan voter 
registration and election process.  CNE President Caetano de 
Sousa is justly proud of CNE accomplishments; the opposition 
is realistic in assessing its disadvantage against the MPLA 
and government power and questioning when elections will 
 
LUANDA 00000166  003 OF 003 
 
 
really take place.  Now that registration is underway, there 
has been a noticeable shift in the position of the opposition 
parties.  Rather than simply complaining about the excessive 
power of the ruling MPLA, the main subject at previous 
opposition roundtables, they are now taking stock of 
themselves and their electoral prospects.  They continue to 
request international and USG assistance and appear to think 
that they cannot win against the MPLA machine without such 
help but appear to be taking greater responsibility for 
trying to boost their own party images.  End Comment. 
 
¶14. (U) DAS Thompson has cleared this cable. 
EFIRD