Opposition Parties and the 2008 Parliamentary Elections in Angola
Inge Amundsen, Chr. Michelsen Institute
Conferência sobre as Eleições em Angola
Centro de Estudos e Investigação Científica (CEIC), Universidade Católica de Angola Terça-Feira, 4 de Novembro de 2008
Opposition parties in Angola
Background
• CEIC-CMI cooperation
• Research project:
– Political parties in Angola
– Amundsen, Pestana, Weimer, Seamba
• CMI Working Paper
– Opposition Parties and the Upcoming 2008
Parliamentary Elections in Angola (Bergen,
August 2008)
Political parties at election
• Election day:
5th
September 2008
• Parties
approved by Supreme Court
Election
results
Analysis
• “Modern” parties lost
– Ideology and principle no value
• (PLD,FPD, AD)
• “Traditional” parties won
– Regional strongholds necessary
• UNITA: Bié, Huambo (Cabinda)
• PRS: Lundas/Chokwe people
• FNLA: Zaire
• ND: ?
Why did people vote MPLA?
• Peace and reconciliation – History
– Pre-election survey
• Election campaign
– Biased access to resources – Biased access to media
• state-controlled radio, television and newspapers
• Pressures
– Buying of sobas
• Election system
Election system
• Favouring regionally based parties
– The 5 seats of each province – Clientelism, traditional elites – Illiteracy
• Favouring biggest party
– Large number of smaller parties
• Party splits and manipulations
• Easy to register + state subvention system – Ban on parties with less than 0.5% votes
– D’Hondt method
D’Hondt method
• Method for allocating seats
– Party-list proportional representation systems
• Favours large parties over scattered small parties
– Example: Cabinda
D’Hondt method
• Favours regionally based parties over nationally distributed – Example: National constituency/Circulo nationais
