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- O processo de transição para o multipartidarismo em AngolaPublication . Vidal, Nuno; Andrade, Justino Pinto deA perspectiva de realização de eleições em Angola levanta a questão das actuais e futuras transições políticas num país africano que sofreu cerca de quarenta anos de conflito armado, iniciado com a luta anti-colonial e prolongado com a guerra civil após a independência. Após o fim da guerra, com a assinatura do Memorando de Entendimento do Luena entre o MPLA e a UNITA em Abril de 2002, renovou-se a esperança de que uma nação tão rica em recursos naturais desenvolvesse finalmente um sistema político que garantisse um desenvolvimento económico sustentável e um maior bem-estar social para a sua população. De facto, a expectativa de que a paz irá permitir um grau extraordinário de investimento (externo e interno) em actividades produtivas nunca foi tão elevada. Há quem afirme que Angola pode estar à beira de um gigantesco passo em frente, que lançará as bases para a prosperidade económica do país e tornará possível um modelo de desenvolvimento que beneficie todos os seus cidadãos. Mas será este um cenário realista? Neste caso, a questão que nos ocupa é a da natureza e impacto da transição de Angola para uma ‘democracia’ multipartidária. Muitos dos capítulos deste volume discutem os detalhes da actual situação política no que concerne à preparação para as eleições e às dinâmicas da mudança constitucional que lhe estão relacionadas. Outros abordam a questão de saber se o próximo pleito eleitoral pode ser comparado com o anterior e até agora único, celebrado há mais de dez anos, em 1992. No entanto, outras contribuições discutem o potencial para a mudança política num país que sofreu um regime de partido único autoritário desde a sua independência e em que a sociedade civil é simultaneamente pequena e fraca.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- The impact of civil society organisations on poverty eradication and democratisation processes in AngolaPublication . Vidal, NunoCSOs might not be automatic mechanisms for democratisation and poverty alleviation; under certain contextual factors they might contribute to the survival of authoritarianism and neo-patrimonialism at the level of poor communities. This research intends to address two main questions: 1) what contextual factors condition the adoption and implementation of CSOs strategies?; 2) What is the impact of each strategy on communities, in favour of democratisation and poverty alleviation, or unintentionally supportive of authoritarianism (Stenner 2005) and neo-patrimonialism (Médard 1991, Bayart 1989, Chabal 1999, Vidal 2003).
- 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.
- The genesis and development of the Angolan political and administrative system from 1975 to the presentPublication . Vidal, NunoThis paper discusses the development of the Angolan political-administrative system since the independence, not so much in terms of its inner working logic which I called post-modern in a recently published work , but focusing in one of its specific processes, namely the concentration of political power and administrative centralization paralleled by an increasing 'elitism' in the access to patrimonial benefits and privileges. Such type of processes are common to many other political systems of patrimonial character in sub-Saharan Africa, however, contrary to what is usually referred as the common path, the Angolan case did not reach a point of operative stabilisation but continued unabated towards an extreme. Constructed over two presidential administrations (since the independence) and having survived the end of the Socialist model, such distinctiveness of Angolan patrimonialism runs the risk of perpetuating itself in the supposedly 'new era' of multiparty democracy. This paper is divided in three parts, the first gives a brief analytical framework, the second and the third deal with the administration of Agostinho Neto and Eduardo dos Santos respectively.
- 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.
- Democratic and development processes in Angola and Southern Africa, research project report, 2004-2009Publication . Vidal, Nuno; Andrade, Justino Pinto deThis report is situated within a process of research, reflection and publication on democratisation and development in Angola and in Southern Africa. It was begun in September 2004 by the Catholic University of Angola and the University of Coimbra, and has resulted in three international conferences (Luanda, August 2004; Luanda, September 2008; Brussels, November 2009) and publication of three books: “The Process of Transition to Multi-party Politics in Angola” - O Processo de Transição para o Multipartidarismo em Angola (Luanda 2006, 2007 & 2008); “Civil Society and Politics in Angola, regional and international context” - Sociedade Civil e Política em Angola, enquadramento regional e internacional (Luanda 2008 & 2009); “Southern Africa - civil society, politics and donor strategies” (Brussels 2009). In dealing with a long term project which is not only academic and scientific, but also deals with activism and civic advocacy, the two universities, together with the Dutch University of Wageningen which joined the process, decided to take the discussion and reflection to one of the principal international donors centres, to the European Parliament in Brussels, where they organised a new conference and a new book, Southern Africa: civilian society, politics, development and donor strategies (Brussels, European Parliament, November 17 2009), which widened the scope to include analysis of donor strategies. The methodology adopted in this process (conferences and books) aims to stimulate extended discussion, reflection and action on the issues being analysed, not only nor principally bringing academics together, but also members of so-called civil society organisations (CSOs), and activists, as well as politicians, Church members and other contributors, whose input is considered relevant to the discussion. To incorporate and support the work of the new international Brussels conference, the organisers considered it important to prepare a progress report for this long project, placing special emphasis on the issues discussed in the two last conferences in Luanda. In conference panel analysis from 2004 & 2008, we find several issues that represent serious constraints to civil society (CS) action and the processes of democratisation and development: constraints to media activity by those in power; deficiencies within the justice system, in the defence and respect for human rights; authoritarianism; weaknesses in relations to organisations of the international community; clientelistic management of the political system and its negative impact on development and equitable access to State resources. Perhaps surprisingly, we also found much similarity between the problems encountered at these levels in Angola and those of several southern African countries analysed in the second conference (2008), highlighting a need for more comparative studies on the political and economic relation in the region. This report is divided in three parts, corresponding to three international conferences and three books. It deals with the key points of each event and publication.
- 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.