IX. Recommendations

To the Angolan Government

Reform the National Electoral Commission to ensure its members reflect a genuine balance between ruling party and opposition, and include also independent representatives from civil society.
Provide the CNE with adequate resources to run the next and subsequent elections, and ensure its full independence.
Establish a commission of inquiry that impartially, thoroughly, and transparently investigates violations of election laws during the 2008 parliamentary elections, and publish its results.
Ensure timely and equal access to state funding for all political parties
Guarantee that updated voters' rolls are available and used to check voter identity in upcoming elections.
Ensure timely, transparent, and impartial accreditation procedures for national and international observers.
Allow free access of national and international observers to all geographical areas and at all stages of the process, including counting and tabulation of the results.

Enact all necessary implementing regulations and laws relating to the 2006 press law, in line with international standards.
Review the press law in order to decriminalize defamation and related offenses, in line with international standards.
Enact legislation to guarantee that public media are accountable to the public and not the government, as stated in the press law.
Enact legislation to establish fair and transparent licensing procedures for private radio and television, and ensure supervision by an independent body, as stated in the press law, in order to prevent discriminatory licensing practices and to enhance diversity of information throughout the country.
Enact legislation regarding the establishment of the National Council on Media (Conselho Nacional da Comunicação Social) as an independent body, as stated in the press law, with sufficient powers to play its role effectively.
Ensure equal access for all political parties to the state media beyond stipulated airtime during the official election campaign.

Ensure free and secure access by all political parties to all parts of the country at all times, and not only during the official campaign period.
Ensure that all allegations of political violence and intimidation that occurred during and before the election campaign are investigated promptly, and that persons against whom there is evidence of criminal liability for these acts are prosecuted and brought to a speedy and impartial trial.
Ensure that agents of the police and of the Information Services act professionally and impartially at all times, including before and during the campaign period.
Guarantee the right to a fair trial to persons accused of state security offences related to the armed conflict in Cabinda, and ensure the freedom of expression, association, and assembly there as elsewhere in the country..

Take into account all aspects of the election process, before and during the election campaign, including media bias, intimidation, and the use of state resources, when assessing election fairness.
Issue public statements, noting any concerns about preelection human rights conditions and recommending corrective measures ahead of the polls, in a timely fashion so that remedial action can be taken.
Remain in the country for a reasonable period beyond the polls to ensure monitoring of the tabulation process.