The minister of Territory Administration, Bornito de Sousa, said Tuesday in Luanda that the National Electoral Commission (CNE), as designed in the draft resolution approved by the National Assembly (Angolan Parliament), has an “absolutely immaculate independence”.
“It is an independent commission, not only from the Executive, but also from the president of the Republic, from the parties themselves and from the judicial power,” said the politician. Bornito de Sousa was reacting to utterances by some opposition MPs, about the polemic article 107 of the Constitution which states that the elections shall be organised by independent organs.
He argued that the composition of the CNE as suggested in the text approved goes beyond the existing canons practised by electoral commissions in the best internationally accepted democracies.
He mentioned as an example the National Electoral Commission of Portugal which, according to him, involves a judge from the Justice Supreme Court, named by the Higher Council of the Judicial Magistracy that chairs the organ, and citizens of recognised integrity, appointed by the Assembly of the Republic, based on proposals from parliamentary groups.
In addition, he said, the body includes officials appointed by each of the governmental departments responsible for the Internal Administration, Foreign Affairs and Social Communication.
Full Article: Angola Press – Politics – Electoral Commission independence reaffirmed.
