UNITA accuses govt of 'deliberately' delaying election date

Angola's main opposition party, UNITA, has launched another salvo against the government, accusing the authorities of dragging their feet over announcing a date for the country's first post-war general elections. UNITA leader Isaias Samakuva told the Portuguese news agency, Lusa, on Wednesday that "nothing justifies" the delay, and called for an electoral timetable. Samakuva was reacting to comments made earlier this week by a senior official of the ruling MPLA party that it might be two more years before a national poll was held. The former rebel group has called for elections by mid-2005. Samakuva claimed the government of President Eduardo Dos Santos was deliberately delaying the approval of a new constitution, a pre-condition for scheduling presidential and legislative elections. "The Angolan people must regain their right to speak" through the ballot box, Lusa quoted Samakuva as saying. He also alleged that the police had targeted UNITA members, and urged authorities to dismantle civilian militias armed by the government during the civil war, which ended in 2002. "In the provinces there are quite a few problems - our members tell us that they have been intimidated by MPLA. The police also ignore our complaints, and this means that it is difficult for our members to work. In Lunda Sul [northeast] we have had two of our members disappear. When we asked the police to investigate, we did not receive any answer," UNITA spokesman Azavado Kanganache told IRIN. The opposition has raised concerns since last year over increased incidents of intimidation of its members by individuals allegedly belonging to MPLA militia groups. "The militia [UNITA referred to] are MPLA supporters who were given guns by the government just before the 1992 elections. During that time, anyone who wanted a gun, got one, and very often we saw young unemployed people in possession of these weapons. Today, these are everywhere in Angola and are being used to intimidate not only UNITA supporters, but also the whole society. It is difficult to say who is, or isn't, part of a militia group, since it is assumed that most Angolans have guns," said the coordinator of the Coalition for Reconciliation, Transparency and Citizenship, Kinsukulu Kama. In 1991 the government armed its supporters in key towns, after accusing UNITA of not properly demobilising its troops. However, since the signing of the peace treaty in 2002 there have been numerous calls for civilians to hand over their weapons. "Everybody needs to be disarmed - not only MPLA supporters," Kama explained. "Ordinary citizens should be encouraged to part with their guns. We need to move towards reconciliation, and having these weapons is not good for the future."