§ Mr HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to assist the Government of Angola in preparing for forthcoming elections. [172083]
§ Hilary BennThe Government of Angola has not yet set a date for the next elections, indicating that 14 steps, including conclusion of the new constitution and re-establishment of the Electoral Commission, are necessary before an election can take place.
DFID is supporting the electoral process. One of the key aims of our Country Engagement Plan for Angola is "a political system which allows all people to influence state policy and practice". Hence DFID is working closely with the international community and Angolan civil society in developing a strategy to support the forthcoming elections. Specifically, DFID is funding a large-scale programme to help civil society, the media and political parties to prepare for the elections. Through this project DFID envisage providing assistance on technical processes such as election monitoring, although details have yet to be agreed.
Once the date for the elections is set, DFID would anticipate working with other members of the international community to do more. DFID is also willing to consider supporting nationwide consultations on the new constitution. As of yet, there have been no clear indications on how the Government intends to carry out this process and how donors can best support it.
§ Mr HunterTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts have been made by his Department in the last two years to work with civil society in Angola on transparency issues; and what results have been achieved. [172082]
§ Hilary BennDFID completed its first Country Engagement Plan for Angola in September 2003. One of the three outcomes highlighted in the Plan is "government systems for raising and using resources which are transparent and give priority to poverty reduction". Since then DFID has made significant progress on developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy on transparency in Angola. This includes encouraging Angola to participate in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), contributing to the World Bank's Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability Review (PEMFAR), and assisting in development of a G8 Anti-corruption and Transparency (ACT) programme. We have also followed negotiations between the Government of Angola and the IMF on a new staff monitored programme for which greater fiscal transparency is a key pre-condition.
With respect to civil society in Angola, DFID is one of several donors contributing to the Transparency Coalition set up by the international NGO World Learning in September 2003. The coalition consists of six different national NGOs who are working together to raise awareness and disseminate information on 369W transparency issues throughout the country. The coalition recently put forward a proposal, which DFID has agreed to fund, to analyse and make accessible in layman's terms the complex and very technical Angolan National Budget (OGE). This should allow Angolan civil society to more actively participate in debates on the annual budget process. DFID has also participated in a new forum established by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Luanda to look at transparency issues. Through this forum, donors help keep civil society informed on developments in transparency at the political level.
Much of this transparency work is still in its early stages and it will take some time before we see the full effects. It is worth noting however, that one positive result is already evident. Within the Angolan media there is a more open and animated discussion on transparency issues and civil society has been actively participating in this.