Alternative to Angola’s electoral system

ANGOLA has an unusual electoral system. Its main peculiarity is that it involves voters electing the president, deputy president and members of parliament simultaneously with a single mark on a single ballot paper.

This has a negative impact on the quality of the country’s representative democracy. It prevents voters from voting differently for the president and members of parliament. And it reduces the ability of voters to hold elected representatives to account. Hence, the need for reform. An alternative electoral system would have several components. It should provide for the direct election of the president. And it should allow for the representation of Angolan communities abroad. In addition, seats in the legislature should be allocated through direct election of representatives from constituencies combined with compensatory seats for political parties in proportion to their overall outcome.

Angola uses a closed-list proportional representation electoral system. Voters cast ballots for lists of candidates drawn up by political parties. Parties are then allocated seats in the legislature in proportion to the share of votes they receive at the polls.

The constitution states that the individual occupying the top position on the list of the political party or coalition of parties that receives the majority vote is appointed president. The individual next on the same list becomes the deputy president.

The 220-member National Assembly is elected on a two-level constituency: 130 candidates from a single national constituency, and 90 candidates from 18 provincial constituencies (five per province).

The adoption of the 18 provincial constituencies is premised on the idea that all provinces need to be represented at the national assembly. But this does not make sense as Angola is a unitary state with a unicameral parliament.

There are no provincial legislatures and no functional or formal distinction between parliamentarians elected at provincial level and those elected at national level. They all represent the whole nation, and should all be be elected from a single national constituency.

The best electoral system for a country must be informed by its particular history, social cleavages and political realities.

In the case of Angola, this means breaking with the past to end the persistence of adverse practices. These include unchecked executive power, concentration of state resources in the hands of a small politically connected elite, widespread corruption, a culture of impunity, and a government that is not responsive to the needs of the population.

The best way to address the issues is to reform the system. This would require a return to the direct election of the president by voters and the reinstatement of a constituency for the representation of Angolan communities abroad.

In addition, the 18 provincial-level constituencies should be scrapped. A constituency element should be added to ensure the direct election of deputies, and compensatory seats introduced for the representation of political parties in proportion to their share of the votes.

The resulting mixed electoral system would promote accountability through the direct election of representatives from constituencies. It would also ensure the proportional representation of political parties.