ANGOLA: DAS THOMPSON DISCUSSES POLITICS WITH MPLA

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 LUANDA 00000110 002 OF 002 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