Controlling elections: The Angolan Election Commission

Abstract

Over the last few years, Angolan legislation on elections and the Angolan national election commission has been strengthened considerably. In legal terms the Comissão Nacional Eleitoral (CNE) is now an independent commission with wideranging powers, that might pave the way for political reform and democratisation in Angola. However, due to the political context it remains to be seen if this formal autonomy will be translated into a counter-balancing institution to the centralised Angolan government.