[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 736 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 736

 Calling on the Government of Angola to hold free, fair, and peaceful 
         elections on August 24, 2022, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 2, 2022

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Cardin, and Mr. Van Hollen) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling on the Government of Angola to hold free, fair, and peaceful 
         elections on August 24, 2022, and for other purposes.

Whereas the Republic of Angola will hold a general election to elect its 
        President and National Assembly on August 24, 2022;
Whereas this year's election will be Angola's fifth multiparty election since 
        1992;
Whereas Angola's 2 main political parties, the People's Movement for the 
        Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the Total 
        Independence of Angola (UNITA), were the principal belligerents in the 
        country's 26-year civil war;
Whereas Angola experienced its first presidential electoral transition in 2017, 
        when President Joao Lourenco of the MPLA succeeded Jose Eduardo dos 
        Santos, also of the MPLA, who ruled Angola for 38 years;
Whereas, despite holding regular elections and having active political 
        opposition parties, Angola is classified as ``Not Free'' by Freedom 
        House due to the ruling MPLA's abuse of State institutions to control 
        political processes and limit free expression;
Whereas mass media in Angola is controlled or highly influenced by the State, 
        independent journalists face harassment, opposition parties are subject 
        to bureaucratic interference, and fewer than half of Angolans feel free 
        to speak their mind, according to a 2019 poll by Afrobarometer;
Whereas Angola is in a period of economic and social crisis, with widespread 
        frustration over the poor state of the oil-based economy and 
        persistently high rates of poverty, inequality, and public corruption;
Whereas, since 2020, Angolans have expressed their dissatisfaction through 
        frequent public protests, which have been met with arrests and police 
        violence against protesters; and
Whereas the failure to hold a credible election will dangerously exacerbate 
        political tensions in Angola: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) calls on the Government of Angola to hold free, fair, 
        and peaceful elections on August 24, 2022;
            (2) urges the Government of Angola to ensure the 
        credibility of elections by--
                    (A) allowing for all parties and candidates to 
                campaign without undue restriction, harassment, or 
                intimidation;
                    (B) publishing and freely disseminating electoral 
                information, including voter rolls and election 
                results;
                    (C) permitting the unrestricted participation of 
                independent election monitors, including by inviting 
                the European Union to send an election observation 
                mission, as the European Union has stated it is 
                prepared to do;
                    (D) ceasing the use of State resources and 
                institutions to support or promote particular political 
                parties or candidates; and
                    (E) reversing the ban on opinion polling during 
                elections;
            (3) urges all political parties in Angola to pledge that 
        they will not use violence during or after the election, will 
        respect the outcome of the vote, and will investigate any 
        disputes peacefully, using legal mechanisms;
            (4) urges the people of Angola to exercise their right to 
        vote on election day;
            (5) calls on all parties to work together, whatever the 
        outcome of the election, to develop and implement a broad-based 
        reform agenda, undertaken in collaboration with civil society, 
        that will address the most urgent issues facing Angola, 
        including by pursuing policies that--
                    (A) reduce inequality and poverty including by 
                increasing employment opportunities, especially for 
                youth, women, and other marginalized groups;
                    (B) diversify the economy, privatize State-owned 
                enterprises in a fair and transparent manner, attract 
                foreign investment, improve public financial management 
                and oversight, and protect labor and property rights;
                    (C) seek to eliminate public corruption at all 
                levels, including by prosecuting corrupt actors without 
                exception; and
                    (D) enhance and improve civil liberties, human 
                rights, and free expression for all Angolans;
            (6) calls on the United States Government to hold Angolan 
        officials accountable for any attempts to subvert the electoral 
        process; and
            (7) stands with the people of Angola and supports their 
        aspirations for a free, democratic election.
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