Angolans go to the polls tomorrow for the first time since 1992. The government has received across-the-board praise for its preparations. The head of the EU observer mission said the election, despite an imbalance in media coverage for the ruling MPLA, the elections
will really be a step forward for democracy.
An SADC observer said
We believe the conditions for a free, fair and democratic election are in place.
The BBC
It was never going to be easy holding an election in a country after so many years of war with damaged infrastructure and millions of displaced people. But as polling day approaches, it seems as if the authorities may be about to pull it off.
The Economist
But even UNITA acknowledges that the violence has been isolated and that it has generally been able to campaign freely. The authorities have agreed to hold the vote over one day instead of two, to assuage fears of manipulation. International observers are already on the ground and thousands of independent local ones are being deployed. Opposition parties have received state money to campaign. Though state radio and television spend much time singing the government’s praises, they also run advertisements for the opposition and report on its campaign.
The consensus is well summed up by Chatham House's Indira Campos
Although the election process may not be perfect, it provides, for the first time in Angola’s post-colonial history, the opportunity for all parties to actively campaign for new leadership. This is a key step in the political and constitutional normalization of the country, but most importantly in the development of mutual tolerance. Elections are also a key part of the process that will allow Angolans to take important steps towards democracy, free speech, the rule of law and improved human rights.
Standing alone against these pragmatic assesments is Human Rights Watch
On the final day of campaigning before Angola's national legislative elections, an international human rights group says the vote is not likely to be free and fair. In a statement issued Wednesday, the New York-based Human Rights Watch says the Angolan government is failing to safeguard the basic freedoms of assembly and expression. The group also alleges the government is not providing access to the media by all candidates, and is not ensuring security for opposition parties. Human Rights Watch says it has documented abuses including intimidation of the opposition and the media, as well as government interference with the electoral commission.
I doubt whether any of those quoted above would doubt the evidence that HRW can present. It's how one contextualises it. Or, as I am sure the supporters of the human rights line would argue, should the standards adopted by such organisations ever be contexualised. The most famous case of this was Amnesty International refusing to recognise Nelson Mandela as a Prisoner of Conscience.
