OPPOSITION PARTIES PROTEST PARLIAMENTARY SEAT ALLOCATION

UNCLAS LUANDA 000748 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA MARKINGS) SENSITIVE SIPDIS ¶E. O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL AO SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PARTIES PROTEST PARLIAMENTARY SEAT ALLOCATION ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Opposition party Front for Democracy (FpD) filed a legal appeal on September 18, contesting the constitutionality of the method used by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) to allocate parliamentary seats among the winners of the September 5-6 legislative contest. The complaint, which has received coverage in the independent press, is likely to be dismissed by the Court. END SUMMARY ¶2. (SBU) The FpD's appeal focuses on the CNE's use of the D'Hondt method to allocate seats in Angola's proportional National Assembly. The FpD argues that Angola's Constitution requires that seats be allocated according to "a system of proportional representation," which the party views as meaning a method of strict proportionality. ¶3. (SBU) In its September 22 response to the FpD appeal, the CNE noted that Angola's Electoral Law identifies the D'Hondt Method as the methodology for the allocation of seats the National Assembly, in accordance with the Constitution. The CNE adds that as the Electoral Law was passed by Parliament, the use of the D'Hondt Method was debated and approved by the Assembly, with the participation of opposition parties. The Constitutional Court is expected to respond to the petition and the CNE's response by September 25th. ¶4. (SBU) The D'Hondt method favors large parties and over scattered small parties. While use of this method would not significantly alter the MPLA's large majority (reftel),it would give two additional parties seats in the new Parliament. The MPLA would have 181 seats rather than 191, UNITA would have 23 seats as against the 16 currently attributed to it, PRS would stay at 8 seats, FNLA at 3 seats and the ND at 2 seats, and two parties represented in the previous parliament - PLD and PLD-ANA - would survive with one seat each. PDP-ANA President Sediangani Mbimbi had stated that his party also intends to file a protest to the allocation of seats based on FpD's complaint. ¶5. (SBU) Comment. The case has gotten some play in Angola's independent press. Nonetheless, the complaint is probably unfounded, and we expect the court to dismiss it. End Comment. MOZENA