Direito e Ciência Política / Law and Political Science
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Browsing Direito e Ciência Política / Law and Political Science by Subject "Angola"
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- AngolaPublication . Vidal, NunoThis chapter provides an analysis of the Angolan electoral processes since the transition to a multiparty democracy in the 1990s. The focus is primarily on the electoral management body, in consideration within the whole evolving and dynamic political context and its interaction with other electoral organs, structures and actors. The chapter is structured in three major parts, each one dedicated to one of the three elections that occurred since the transition. The first section deals with the first multiparty elections of 1992, the major electoral organs, the legislation endorsing them and their performance within the context of a troubled transition that was halted by the resumption of civil war right after elections. The extra ten years of civil war and its outcome in 2002, within a different international and domestic context, determined the new electoral structuring that set the stage for the following electoral process in 2008. Such a new context and setting majorly contributed to a qualified majority victory of the party in power. These issues are analysed in the second section. The third and final section is dedicated to the period evolving from the 2008 elections to the third electoral process of an Angolan multiparty system in 2012. Here attention is focused on the new constitution of 2010, which favoured an age-old concentration of powers in the presidency; the ensuing electoral engineering; and the renewed qualified majority in 2012.
- Angola: the weight of historyPublication . Vidal, Nuno; Chabal, PatrickThis volume stems from the conviction that an analysis of contemporary Angola is best achieved by a multi-authored and multidisciplinary enterprise. Indeed, so intricate is the trajectory of that former Portuguese colony that there is yet to appear a comprehensive account of its history. Nor is there today a wholly convincing study of its post-colonial evolution. Competing explanations offer diverging views about the nature of the regime and the consequences of the civil war. Of course, there is no denying that Angola’s case is complex, touching as it does on an unusually wide range of issues – from its ethnic and racial complexion to its oil-based economy. Nevertheless, it is now time to attempt a more systematic examination of this important country – if for no other reason than because it is likely to become an increasingly important player in the region.
- Angolan civil society activism since the 1990s : reformists, confrontationists and young revolutionaries of the ‘Arab spring generation’Publication . Vidal, NunoAiming for regime transformation, post-transition Angolan civil society activism moved from reformism and confrontationism to ultra-confrontationism. Reformism and confrontationism evolved until the 2008 elections, influenced by development thinking (neoliberalism/institutionalism vs neo-Marxism/world-system thinking), in two opposing strategies: ‘constructive engagement’ vs political defiance. The dispute ended with ultra-confrontationism gaining impetus with the Arab spring, with a younger generation resorting to new methods (information and communications technology and demonstrations). Despite the lack of funding or international links, the newer methods caused more concern to the regime. Nevertheless, they suffer from the same shortfalls as their predecessors: they are confined to an urban/suburban social segment, and unable to attract the majority of the population
- Angolan civil society organisations: political reformists vs political confrontationistsPublication . Vidal, NunoThere are currently in Angola two main opposing strategies/perspectives assumed by CSOs towards the government: the reformist a constructive engagement approach believing that the government can be progressively reformed from within, accepting a flexible agenda towards donors, and a technical, pragmatic and not too politically assertive agenda on democratisation and poverty alleviation; the confrontationist. rejecting constructive engagement as a form of cooption by the government and a way of perpetuating neo-patrimonialism, standing for independent agendas towards donors, based on the strict defence of political and economic human rights and transparency in public resources management. Both claim to be better serving the interests of the communities and more effective on democratisation and poverty alleviation, mutually accusing of indirect/unintentional contribution to the maintenance of authoritarianism and neo-patrimonialism. This paper intends to assess: 1) the contextual factors conditioning the adoption and implementation of CSOs strategies (reformist and confrontationist); 2) the impact of each strategy on communities, in favour of democratisation and poverty alleviation, or unintentionally supportive of authoritarianism and neo-patrimonialism. In conclusion, the paper argues that although hardly assumed, then 2008 electoral process and electoral results represented a cruel reality that stroke both sides of the civil society divide: their long and passionate quarrels and disputes on reformism and confrontationism made all sense to them and to their international partners but hardly any to the majority of the Angolan society. ‘Their’ civil society is mainly urban, donor influenced, strongly extraverted, the product of a segment of an elite, coming out of the disaffection socio-political ranks of the MPLA (Vidal 2007), that quickly assimilated and interiorized development thinking perspectives, strategies and disputes but lacks a symbiosis with the majority of people consciousness and daily logics, therefore with a very limited capacity for significant change on the regime or society as a whole.
- Economia política e desenvolvimento em AngolaPublication . Vidal, Nuno; Andrade, Justino Pinto deEste livro centra-se na análise da natureza e dinâmica da economia política Angolana e do seu impacto ao nível do desenvolvimento. São abordadas questões como a relação entre crescimento e desenvolvimento, equilíbrio económico entre regiões e sectores de actividade, e sobretudo questões de política económica, que podem facilitar ou obstar ao desenvolvimento harmonioso da economia e da sociedade, com reflexos na estabilidade sócio-política de longo prazo. O tão propalado crescimento económico de dois dígitos em vários anos ao longo da última década não se traduziu em efectivo desenvolvimento equilibrado, sectorial, regional, e sobretudo humano, sendo que a pobreza continua a constituir um sério problema. Existem várias falhas a colmatar em termos de políticas económicas, mas sobretudo em termos de economia política e da lógica dominante que lhe tem estado subjacente, de raiz patrimonial moderna, impeditiva de que o crescimento seja equilibrado e se traduza em efectivo desenvolvimento.
- Erradicação da pobreza e desenvolvimento equilibrado em Angola e na África AustralPublication . Vidal, Nuno; Andrade, Justino Pinto deEste livro apresenta uma súmula das principais ideias e resultados do projecto de pesquisa desenvolvido por Nuno Vidal e Justino Pinto de Andrade no seu projecto de pesquisa-acção no período de 2010 a 2014, reflectindo os vários debates e trabalhos desenvolvidos dentro e fora de Angola em torno da temática principal das diversas orientações teórico-metodológicas e análise das políticas públicas seguidas em Angola e na África Austral no que à erradicação da pobreza e ao desenvolvimento dizem respeito.
- Landmines of democracy: civil society and the legacy of authoritarian rules in AngolaPublication . Vidal, NunoAngola has largely been under authoritarian rule from the colonial era to the present. The nationalist war against the Portuguese (1961-1975) promised freedom, but independence in 1975 marked the beginning of a civil war with major foreign involvement right from the start. With few interruptions, the war lasted for almost 27 years - to February 2002, when the rebel leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), Jonas Savimbi, was killed in action. From 1975 to 1977, there was a period of relative freedom in Angola. However, in 1977 an aborted coup resulted in a major purge with massive killings all over the country. An authoritarian and repressive one-party socialist regime was put in place by the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). A feared apparatus of State security was placed in charge of political repression. Non-state media were closed and the right to association was limited to mass organisations of the MPLA. The judicial system became 'militarised', juxtaposing civilian and military courts with the ability to impose heavy penalties, including the death penalty (mainly for political and security crimes). The judiciary was politically dependent and operated under the direct influence of the party and ultimately of the President. A culture of fear, intimidation and repression became entrenched. The regime in place and the priority given to defence and internal security did not allow any room for civil society to emerge and impeded the development of any kind of 'democratic institutions' or any sense of transparency and accountability . Violations of human rights by both sides of the conflict became regular as well as impunity for perpetrators of these crimes.
- Modern and post-modern patrimonialismPublication . Vidal, NunoThis paper discusses the Angolan political system after independence. Its haracterisation confronts two interpretative perspectives or what is here called modern and post-modern patrimonialism, each will be exposed.
- O MPLA e a governação : entre internacionalismo progressista marxista e pragmatismo liberal-nacionalistaPublication . Vidal, NunoEste texto apresenta uma análise da política Angolana desde a independência aos nossos dias partindo de duas posições políticas contrárias que influenciaram de sobremaneira o percurso do país no pós-independência e que permitem compreender não só as disputas em curso como as políticas e estratégias seguidas. São contrastadas as posições caracterizadas como de pragmatismo nacionalista de matriz liberal e internacionalismo progressista de matriz Socialista-Marxista, seguindo critérios de ideologia influenciando a gestão política, economia política e política externa. A análise identifica a matriz que, embora sob diversas roupagens, discursos e protagonistas, apresenta uma coerência de médio e longo-prazo e uma linha orientadora do percurso político-econômico trilhado pelo partido no poder desde 1975. O trabalho estrutura-se em duas grandes partes, historicamente sequenciais, sendo a primeira dedicada ao enquadramento do tema e suas implicações políticas ao longo da presidência de Agostinho Neto (1975-1979) e a segunda abarcando a muito mais longa administração de Eduardo dos Santos, desde 1979 aos nossos dias, passando por diferentes contextos nacionais e internacionais ao longo dos anos.