Day of judgement for Angola

less than a month before elections, it’s clear Angolans aren’t able to campaign free from intimidation or pressure. And unless things change now, Angolans won’t be able to cast their votes freely.”

reports Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch

September 5th will see Angola voting in the first for the national assembly since 1992.The country has been effectively at civil war since independence in 1975.Since that time with the Marxist backed MPLA fighting against UNITA,a south African bulwark against the spread of Communism.

A peace deal was signed in 2002 following the death of Unita leader Jonas Savimbi.The country has been ruled by Jose Eduardo dos Santos under the MPLA SINCE 1979 and these elections have been long awaited.

Human Rights Watch says that in spite

of President Eduardo dos Santos’s public statements that the elections would take place in an environment free of violence, Human Rights Watch documented numerous incidents of political violence involving ruling party supporters through the voter registration period between November 2006 and May 2008. Political violence has occurred mainly in rural areas that were most affected by the civil war. Patterns of violence include sporadic assaults by local MPLA supporters, sometimes involving traditional authorities and local MPLA leaders, against local UNITA party members and their property and party symbols.

The US state department's report on human rights says

The government's record remained poor and serious problems remained, although there were improvements in a few areas. Human rights abuses included: the abridgement of citizens' right to elect officials at all levels; unlawful killings by police, military, and private security forces; torture, beatings, and harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; corruption and impunity; arbitrary arrest and detention; an inefficient and overburdened judicial system; lengthy pretrial detention; lack of due process; restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, including self-censorship, and assembly; forced evictions without compensation; and discrimination and domestic violence and abuse against women and children

.

As for the prospects this election will establish some truths for the country.Since the ceasefire in 2002,the ruling MPLA have overseen a period of economic growth,rising incomes and low inflation and if elected has promised a programme of infrastructure which will include two new cities and a rail link to Namibia.

Unita,under Isaias Samakuva,still has a reputation of being a bunch of rebels and struggles to gain support outside of its heartlands.

Watch for developments