Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LUANDA110
2007-02-07 10:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Luanda
Cable title:  

ANGOLA: DAS THOMPSON DISCUSSES POLITICS WITH MPLA

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR PHUM AO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RR RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLU #0110/01 0381023
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 071023Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY LUANDA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3686
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUANDA 000110 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF AND AF/S

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PHUM AO
SUBJECT: ANGOLA: DAS THOMPSON DISCUSSES POLITICS WITH MPLA
REPRESENTATIVE

REF: LUANDA 104

Classified By: Amb. Cynthia Efird for 1.4 (B) and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUANDA 000110

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF AND AF/S

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PHUM AO
SUBJECT: ANGOLA: DAS THOMPSON DISCUSSES POLITICS WITH MPLA
REPRESENTATIVE

REF: LUANDA 104

Classified By: Amb. Cynthia Efird for 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (SBU) Summary: MPLA Party Secretary Joana Lina told
visiting DAS Carol Thompson that the MPLA is focusing its
efforts in 2007 on the planned 2008 elections, including
intense support of the nationwide voter registration
campaign. It has developed a vision for Angola,s future,
Angola 2025, and has invited multi-party debate on its plan.
Female representation continues to be low, but the party is
working to promote more women into the higher ranks.
Throughout the meeting, the line between political party and
government continually blurred with our MPLA interlocutor.
End Summary.


2. (U) On February 1, 2007, during her weeklong visit to
Angola, DAS Thompson met with Joana Lina Batista, the MPLA
Secretary of Administration and Finance, for a discussion of

SIPDIS
MPLA election preparations and its future goals. Ambassador
Efird, DCM and PolOff accompanied DAS Thompson.

Concentrating on Election Preparations
--------------

3. (SBU) DAS Thompson opened noting Angola,s potential and
challenges that she had seen during her trip, and reiterated
USG interest in a strong electoral process as Angola moved
towards elections. DAS Thompson offered her congratulations
on the MPLA,s 50th anniversary (December 2006),and asked
about the future. Lina at first dodged DAS Thompson,s
questions on the MPLA,s goals for the future, including its
plans for a party conference and the future
leadership/direction, stating that other party leaders could
more appropriately handle these questions. However, she then
told Thompson the MPLA is committed to the reconstruction and
development of the country and has proposed an Agenda of
National consensus and invited feedback and debate on the
plan, but received none. She elaborated that all parties
were invited to provide input, so that the plan would reflect
a common vision, and determine the best for Angola without a
party-based bias. Note: The MPLA,s Agenda for National

Consensus, was adopted by the President, retitled &Angola
2025,8 announced publicly during the MPLA,s 50th
Anniversary commemorations in December 2006 and presented by
dos Santos as the national agenda. Opposition parties
criticized the lack of open discussion and the blurred line
between a party and government plan. End Note.


4. (SBU) Lina said the MPLA is, at all levels, preparing for
elections ) from the smallest local unit to the national
party ) even though a firm timeline is not in place. She
said the MPLA,s goal is to register all citizens, not just
party members. She estimated that 55% of the party,s time
is spent on preparing for elections, and 45% on continuing
current operations and programs. She said that all signs
point towards elections but that it is important to mobilize
all citizens, especially those who didn,t vote in 92 and
might equate elections with violence. Lina called this
&rewarding work8 because &Angola needs to hold elections
to show the world that we have achieved stability.8 (Note:
Opposition party leaders do not agree that the MPLA is
reaching out to "all" citizens. End Note) Ambassador Efird
told Lina that the International Republican Institute (IRI)
was working with all the Angolan political parties on the
elections and party strengthening and reinforced the offer of
assistance from IRI to the MPLA.

Blurring the Line Between Party and Government
-------------- -

5. (SBU) Ambassador Efird asked Lina if the party views
itself as &a political party like all the others,8 or does
it view itself as something more. Lina said that the MPLA is
a political party like the others, but because it is the
party in power it has national responsibilities. The party
was able to maintain the sovereignty and territory of the
country and had fought to achieve peace. She said that the
party had embraced democracy and that it has a responsibility
to mobilize all parties, to encourage them to look
realistically at the country and contribute to a better
Angola.


6. (SBU) DAS Thompson asked if the MPLA was truly able to
separate and define the responsibilities of the government
vs. the issues of the party. Lina replied that Angola is not
yet at that level of organization. The country needs to work
through the electoral process first. Only after an election
can the people really judge the winning party based on the
performance of the government, the quality of the party, and
the quality of its candidates. She elaborated that parties
should describe their visions for governing and the party

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that wins should be allowed to fulfill its program.

Women in Politics and Government: Largely Missing
-------------- --------------

7. (SBU) In response to DAS Thompson,s question on the
party,s policy on facilitating the role of women, Lina said
that the MPLA is striving towards having women in 20% of the
party,s leadership positions at all levels. She noted that
while the MPLA hasn,t yet reached this mark, its record is
far better record than others noting that neither the PRS nor
the FNLA have women parliamentarians. She said the MPLA
hopes to reach the level of participation by women seen in
South Africa and Mozambique. Note: As a member of SADC,
Angola must meet a thirty percent representation rate of
women in government. PRS and FNLA occupy respectively six
and five seats in Parliament; MPLA has 129 seats of which 27
are women. End note.


8. (SBU) This theme was reinforced during a February 1 lunch
for DAS Thompson with Angolan women leaders including Albina
de Assis Africana, the President,s Economic Advisor (and
former Minister of Petroleum) and Guilhermina Prata, the Vice
Minister of Justice. Assis Africana noted that currently
there are far fewer women in ministerial positions than in
the past. Both women commented that many younger talented
Angolan women are being lured away from public service by the
high paying jobs offered at Sonangol, the petroleum
parastatal, and other multinational companies. However, they
noted that women's issues were receiving more attention in
Angola, including the new program of "Zero Tolerance" on
family violence. Prata mentioned that the police department
was sensitizing all officers to respond to family violence
issues. In addition, it is developing a cadre of female
police officers although it needs additional training for
them. Ambassador Efird mentioned the USG sponsored police
force training offered through the International Law
Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Botswana and said she would
make sure that women police officers were included in the
next training group.


9. (C) Comment: Lina, like most MPLA officials, kept on
message, often portraying the MPLA as much more open to
discussion and dissenting views than is the case. Her
initial reticence to speak to international representatives
belies the MPLA,s central decision-making and limited
empowerment of its officials; as Secretary for Finance and
Administration, Lina is considered to be one of the most
powerful figures within the party and certainly knows party
strategy and plans. It also is indicative of a party that
has neither the need for nor experience in explaining itself
to Angolans or foreigners. Her difficulty in distinguishing
the role of the MPLA party from the role of the government,
and more fundamentally that there needs to be a separation of
party and government, is typical for the MPLA; and as Lina
noted will be a challenge for the party in post election
Angola.


10. (C) Biographical Notes: Joana Lina Batista was born in
Kwanza Norte on September 22, 1957. An economist by
profession, she is currently a Parliamentary Deputy. She
previously served in the government as Minister for Women and
Family Affairs. She is a member of the Political Bureau of
the MPLA and is the party,s Secretary for Finance and
Administration. She is also head of the Finance Commission
for the Parliament. Lina is a close personal friend of
President and Mrs. dos Santos and is godmother to their
oldest daughter.


11. (U) DAS Thompson has cleared this cable.
EFIRD