The set of legislative initiatives on the electoral process, presented by the parliamentary group of UNITA, the largest opposition party, and by the executive, were approved in general terms, unanimously.
The drafts and proposals for the Amendment Law to the Organic Law on General Elections, the Organic Law on the Organization and Functioning of the National Electoral Commission (CNE) and the Law on the Official Voter Registration were discussed and voted on.
When presenting the proposed Amendment Law to the Organic Law on General Elections, the Minister of State and Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida, stated that the set of amendments presented aim to ensure greater voter participation, a simpler and more reliable counting process and to improve the organization of electoral processes in general.
Specifically, the proposal aims to simplify the requirements for the right to vote, using the Identity Card as the single document for voting, the solution "that best fits the principle of unofficial voter registration", said Adão de Almeida.
"This is the aim of this proposed amendment law, to put an end to misunderstandings and doubts about the documents for exercising the right to vote, clearly telling voters that this document is the Identity Card, except for traveling abroad where the passport is also accepted", said Adão de Almeida.
According to Adão de Almeida, the Government will expand civil identification and Identity Card services, highlighting that by March 2025 there were 15.8 million citizens with Identity Cards, of which 12.3 million were adults, and that as of this month there were already more than 300 thousand documents awaiting collection by their holders.
The minister highlighted that the proposal also broadens electoral participation, allowing voters who are performing public service, such as doctors, nurses, police officers, those who have moved house, and journalists, among other situations, to vote away from their polling stations and list delegates.
In turn, UNITA parliamentary group member Faustino Mumbica stressed that the bill to amend the Organic Law on General Elections aims, in addition to overcoming the irregularities and shortcomings that are frequently found in the electoral process, to adapt the law to the principles and rules of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on electoral processes, especially to "ensure an inclusive public election".
"Ensuring that everyone respects the election results, promoting the holding of regular, free, fair, transparent, credible, peaceful and democratic elections, to institutionalize the legitimate authority of the Government" are the objectives, he said.
According to the deputy, the drafting of the bill involved the participation of members of civil society, experts in electoral legislation and deputies.
