Luanda - Angola observes this Wednesday, 24 August, the voting process, a period during which society will have to comply with several rules contained in the Electoral Code of Conduct (CCE).
The text, approved by the National Assembly (Parliament), establishes, among other essential aspects, that churches in Angola are prohibited from providing information to their faithful in favour of any candidate to the ballot.
However, according to the stipulations of the Electoral Code of Conduct, religious institutions must inform the faithful about the progress of the electoral process.
In relation to religious entities, the document states that churches must refrain from inciting violence or electoral fraud, as well as using language that leads to political intolerance, discrimination or violence between citizens.
National and international observers, traditional authorities, civil society actors, as well as the forces of public order are also forbidden to behave in the same way.
The law, approved by Parliament in 2012, obliges political parties or coalitions of political parties to promote civic education and publicly present their government programmes and guidelines.
In relation to the candidates for President and Vice-President of the Republic, it states that they are entitled to promote civic education, to meet in public spaces, as well as to preside over mass rallies, with prior permission of the local authorities.
To their militants, it determines that they must respect the difference of choice of all, refrain from the practice of acts contrary to electoral ethics, democracy, the law and good customs, from practicing violence and meddling in the affairs of polling stations.
However, militants and sympathisers are allowed to use peaceful means to advertise their political organisation for electoral purposes, such as putting up posters or other materials, promoting recreational activities, marches, debates and convincing other voters of the advantages of their party's programme.
The Electoral Code of Conduct requires CNE members to abide by the principles of transparency, competence, impartiality, consensus and cooperation, in addition to exercising their specific competences.
As for the media, it states that they should act with rigour and professionalism when covering elections, refrain from publishing unofficial election results and from broadcasting or disseminating messages of incitement to hatred and violence.
It states that they have the right to access electoral data sources, protection by the forces of public order, as well as to be respected by candidates for deputies, political parties and coalitions of political parties, as well as other electoral agents.
Regarding polling station staff and party agents, it states that they have the right to time off at their workplaces, dignified treatment by the other electoral agents, protection by the forces of law and order and allowances for their work.
Under this text, civil society actors have the power to promote activities to enlighten voters on electoral acts, actions aiming at the participation of citizens in electoral processes, to circulate throughout the national territory and to be respected by the other electoral agents.
Voters have the duty to exercise their right to vote and to persuade other voters to vote, to refrain from promoting campaigns inside polling stations, as well as not to interfere in matters reserved to polling station members.
Resolution 7/12 of 23 March states that all electoral agents, during their activities established by law, should be protected by the forces of law and order.
In its 31 articles, three chapters, two sections and 13 subsections, the Electoral Code of Conduct states that, for legal purposes, political parties or coalitions of parties, candidates for President and Vice-President of the Republic, party militants and sympathisers, members of the electoral administration bodies and of polling stations are electoral agents.
The list also includes the forces of law and order, voters, election observers, the media, polling station agents, religious bodies, traditional authorities and civil society actors.
The elections on 24 August, which will have, for the first time, the participation of Angolans in the diaspora, are the fifth in Angola's history, after those of 1992, 2008, 2012 and 2017.
