Institutions of checks and balances: The Election Commission of Angola

Abstract

This report focuses on one particular institution which may mitigate the centralisation of power in Angola and pave the way for political reform and democratisation; the Angolan national electoral commission (the Comissão Nacional Eleitoral, CNE). The study outlines the types and role of governmental electoral management bodies (EMBs), positions the CNE in a comparative historical perspective, and analyses the CNE’s mandate and independence in terms of legal autonomy, nomination of leaders/commissioners, and financial autonomy. It is argued that the CNE is in constitutional and legal terms a genuinely independent commission, with a comparatively broad mandate and powers. However, due to the political context of Angola it remains to be seen if this formal autonomy will be translated into a counter-balancing institution to the centralised Angolan government.