VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLU #0471/01 1631611
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADA26822 MSI4226-695)
P 111611Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4848
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

UNCLAS LUANDA 000471 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY SIGNATURE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AO
SUBJECT: "THE ANGOLAN" ELECTORAL NEWS BULLETIN, VOL. II 
 
 
¶1. (U) In This Issue: 
-- Reaction to Convocation of Election 
 
-- In-Fighting Threatens PRS and FNLA Campaigns 
 
-- UNITA Concerned by Acts of Political Intolerance 
 
-- EU Plans Electoral Observation Mission 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Stakeholders React to Convocation of Elections 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (U) Political parties, media outlets, election network groups, 
religious entities and civil society organizations universally 
lauded President Dos Santos' June 4th convocation of legislative 
elections for September 5, 2008.  Independent newspaper A Capital 
declared "Alleluia!" on its front cover, and Radio National 
conducted a series of interviews in which political party leaders 
praised the President for marking that date on which Angolans will 
return to the polls for the first time in 16 years. 
 
¶3. (U) Some parties, however, expressed concern over alterations to 
the electoral law proposed by the Council of the Republic and 
mentioned in the presidential decree convoking elections.  The 
electoral law currently allows electoral official to conduct new 
elections at specific voting stations within eight days of the 
general election if a) voting is disrupted at the station for more 
than 3 hours, b) public unrest or disturbance in the area causes 
authorities to shut down the voting station to protect public 
safety, or c) other factors affect the station's ability to open. 
The Council of the Republic and President Dos Santos also advised 
the National Assembly to examine expanding the list of possible 
triggers for a re-vote as a safeguard against potential logistic 
glitches on Election Day. 
 
¶4. (SBU) UNITA expressed concern that expansion of this clause could 
open the door for electoral fraud by allowing the ruling MPLA to 
manipulate results through holding new elections at voting stations 
in key areas.  PRD also expressed concern that last-minute changes 
to the electoral law could threaten the credibility of the elections 
among key stakeholders, who may interpret changes as a means for 
results tampering and fraud.  The MPLA, however, dismissed the 
criticism, and defended the proposed changes as a way to ensure that 
all voters have their day at the polls, should unforeseen 
circumstances affect voting in remote areas. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
In-Fighting Threatens PRS and FNLA Campaigns 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Internal crises raging within the PRS and FNLA, Angola's 
third and fourth-largest political parties, respectively, have 
threatened the parties electoral ambitions.  The crisis may prevent 
the parties from participating in elections due to legal 
requirements that bar parties with contested leadership.  The 
Supreme Court has cautioned both the PRA and FNLA of the possibility 
they may be barred from elections unless these internal issues are 
resolved. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Social Renovation Party (PRS), which dominated the 
Lundas and Moxico in the '92 elections and currently holds 6 seats 
in parliament, may be barred from running in September's contest due 
to contested party leadership.  Though the leadership battle dates 
back to 2000, resolution has been complicated by the recent 
expulsion of a group of senior party leaders who had been working 
towards reconciliation.  While the factions trade accusations of 
corruption, mismanagement and betrayal and party president Eduardo 
Kuangana has declined to host a reconciliatory meeting, little is 
being done to resolve the pending court case contesting Kuangana's 
election as party president.  The GRA, through the Anti-Corruption 
Court, has frozen PRS bank accounts and ordered auditors to 
investigate accusations of financial mismanagement against the party 
president. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The FNLA (Angola National Liberation Front) has similar 
troubles, as its two factions continue to refuse reconcile 
entreaties, and argue that the other faction cease and desist. 
Ngola Kabangu, the appointed heir of the late party founder Holden 
Roberto, has admitted that it will be disastrous for his party to 
forgo September's elections over a claim to the party leadership by 
former FNLA political secretary Lucas Ngonda, but efforts to 
reconcile the party by religious leaders such as Catholic Bishop Dom 
Kahango and Anglican leader Reverend Ntoni Nzinga have thus far been 
unsuccessful. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
UNITA Concerned by Acts of Political Intolerance 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶8. (SBU) UNITA's leadership discussed concern about increasing acts 
of political intolerance with embassy officials on May 19.  General 
Chitombi, the senior UNITA official for ex-combatants, told us the 
party has received "many" reports of intolerance, including two 
February incidents in Bie province, one in which houses belonging to 
UNITA members were set ablaze by MPLA supporters and on attack in 
which a female UNITA supporter's hand was chopped off.  He also 
discussed a March incident in Mungo, Huambo province, in which he 
stated UNITA supporters were attacked by MPLA supporters retaliating 
to UNITA's defiance to the MPLA's order barring public UNITA rallies 
in Mungo.  UNITA held a rally on March 1, and the next day groups of 
young men went from house to house beating up UNITA leaders in Mungo 
and ripping down UNITA flags.  Chitombi stated that these incidents 
have been brought to the attention of authorities, but no action has 
been taken.  Angolan Interior Minister Roberto Leal Monteiro has 
stated that incidents such as these should be considered acts of 
vandalism rather than political intolerance. 
 
¶9. (SBU) In a prescient statement, Chitombi expressed hope that the 
situation would not escalate to the point at which UNITA militants 
are forced to take the law into their hands.  On May 20, Radio 
Ecclesia reported that 15 persons were wounded after UNITA militants 
reacted to what they called provocation from MPLA militants in 
Sabchimemuna commune, Bie province.  UNITA militants accused the 
MPLA of stealing their party flag from its mast, and their attempt 
to retrieve the flag led to a street fight in which knives and 
cutlasses were freely used. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
EU Plans Electoral Observation Mission 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The EU completed its electoral observation exploratory 
mission to Angola on May 30.  According to EU insiders, the 
mission's recommendations call for 120 observers, with the first 
long-term observers arriving in-country on July 15th.  While in 
Angola, mission leaders told the Embassy it plans to deploy long and 
short-term observers to all 18 provinces, but were still examining 
the security and logistical reality of doing so. 
FERNANDEZ