IRI Hosts Constitutional Law Conference

May 7, 2004

-- April 28-29 - IRI hosted a constitutional law conference in Luanda to analyze and interpret Angola’s new constitutional provisions, which impact the electoral process. The conference was led by Dr. Andre Thomashausen, a professor of international law at the University of South Africa. Participants from different parties worked together in small group sessions to brainstorm on ways to address key electoral issues. IRI staff provided participants with materials, including writings on Angola’s 1992 elections, recommendations for future elections, summaries of electoral processes and laws in other countries, and other various resource materials. Attended by multiple political party representatives, the event sparked debate and introspection on the new electoral system as it relates to each party’s readiness. Chairman of Angola’s Constitutional Commission, Bornito de Souza, who was among the nearly 50 attendees, commented that IRI’s activities in Angola will benefit all those involved in Angola’s political process. The Institute recently conducted a national opinion poll in Angola addressing the population's perceptions of the election process. Angola's government has not yet released a date for the country's next national elections.

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