Introduction
My principal theme in this brief essay is
centered in the democracy in political parties and above all in
Party MPLA'S last VI Ordinary congress.
As academic I will make a critical and deep analysis of
the political moments of a Country Governed by a unique party
that so much spread the term democracy in his last VI Ordinary
Congress accomplished in Luanda from 7/12 to 10/12/2009, the
swinging and strategies for the next challenges as party and as
Government.
The structure of this essay obeys a historical glance of
the political parties and the case peculiar of the party in the
power of my Country, concretely his ideology and political
strategy as party and as Government. I will also make a
brushstroke in their guiding lines, programs and statutes
according to the democratic principles in them prescribed, the
own democracy in the party and the reality adopted for the
political power in his Government.
The historical glance of the political domain by leaders
governing more time in word, Africa and particular case in Angola
are treated deeply. I will show my dislikes according my vision
on this situation, critical positions in and how they are in
political power, concretely his ideology and political strategy
adopted as party and as Government. My principal bases on this
essay is to alert that in current world, change is the cyclic
movement, they happen at what time either in the politics, in the
economy or in the nature, without waiting. Nobody can sleep or to
ignore such facts… late or early they arrive… still
more when it places in the center the man and the problems that
afflict him.
In generality, principally in countries of third World,
all the political movements or political parties that assumed the
political power of State after decolonization or independence
proclamation failed very much in objectives of national
liberation against their peoples. Why?
Body
My principal theme in this brief essay is centered in
the real political happens in the third World, in Africa, of
revolutions and auto-determination of people, and simultaneously
to resemble the reality of Angola with a State governed under
domain of only party, since 1979 for the same current
President.
The functioning of contemporary democracies depends of
one serious of mechanisms that give the right form to noun idea
of participation of citizens in political decisions of their
countries. From them, are set in evidence the political parties,
fundamental mechanism to form and to organize the public opinion
in political communities and as vehicle of democracy of
mass.
The democratic regimen of government were seen with more
reserve or same free hostility during almost the occidental
political history, because of demagogic degeneration that
astonished during the classic antiquity. In virtue of this
problem, the democracy passed to be seen as regimen where imperia
the uncontrolled passions, poked and manipulated by demagogues of
bad-faith in reaching the personal objectives and sterile honors,
to the detriment of good governance of the community.
The political history narrates that, the political
parties began to appear in England, in the century XVI, as
polarization of political forces, but only in the century XVII is
defined precisely.
According to Maurice Duverger, the political parties
were born and they grew at the same time that the electoral and
parliamentary processes. They appeared firstly under the form of
electoral comities, occupying the paper of giving to candidate
the patronage and the notability of competing politically, as of
gathering the necessary bottoms to campaigns.
The political parties appeared to oppose the crises of
the political power verified in States and Governments, in the
competition search or competition in the exercise of the
political power, and to influence to Government the best
solutions of the political problems, in the way of to make deep
of the representative democracy, mainly of increasing the
democracy degree in Government's system.
It means that the appearance of political parties
developed a new vision of political participation of societies
politically organized. This political participation is one form
of exercising one right because of belong to some group, society
or State. All this political process is possible when the
citizens live together in difference of opinions and in the
diversity of culture.
The democracy is the fundamental condition to be able to
favorite the political relations between the citizens with
Government; citizens with States; political party with
Government; and Political party with State vice-verse.
In case of political parties, their political
participation result of one mechanism of political competition,
in presenting a government program with alternative proposes, to
transform the participative democracy in the representative
democracy.
To look at the representative modern democracy today,
difficultly we can concept it separate from the political
parties. Like this, in the societies of masses, the political
parties are had as organizations or individuals' associations
that defend an own ideology with much defined objectives to
conquer, to exercise and to maintain the political
power.
Those social and political institutions, because they
are resulted of a social and political will of the people, they
assume fundamental importance to assure the representative
democratic system, (political parties as spokesman of the society
and of the voters), because they organize the political currents
for the electoral competition and they coordinate the
participation of those currents in the process Governance of the
State.
Therefore, they are legitimate and necessary the debates
and electoral processes, so much inside of a party as between
different parties. The pluralism of opinions is a constitutional
element and it should be recognized by the parties as foundation
of his own existence.
But now I treat of a party type MPLA – Popular Movement
of Liberation of Angola, with a realizable government program, to
which disciplined adheres their militants and candidates, once
chosen put in practice his program. This party has a great
importance in any process of formation of democracies, as
constitutional agent of formation of the will of the State.
Because it exercises the political power and it controls all of
the means to the disposal of the State.
This political party was founded to the December 10,
1956, and that for force of the circumstances assumed the
political power and proclaimed the independence for 11/11/1975 in
the capital of Angola, Luanda.
Party that Governs Angola more than 30 years, with his
ideological line of socialism communism, readjusted his political
Government according to the historical contexts of each time,
since 1991 to the centralized democratic socialism and it is
assumed to be a party of left masses.
The party in his action guides their militants for two
more important documents: the Program and the Statutes of
MPLA.
1. The Program establishes the global strategy of the
party, that is, the objectives and general orientations, as well
as the methods and the forms of his accomplishment tend in bill
the concrete historical conditions, constituting the platform
theoretical and political of the party.
2. The Statutes establish the organic structure of the
party, the rules of the democracy in party, the norms of the
supporting life, as well as the organization principles,
operation and of direction of the party.
As their statutes in his Chapter II – Basic principles
of the operation of the party, it defines in his art. 6th –
democracy rules in party, in the points 1 and 2. The c) of the
point 2 it defines the Title-holders' of the organs election and
organisms of the party and control and revocability of the
mandate of the organs, organisms and militants chosen.
When we are doing analysis of the program and of the
approved statutes in the V Congress of the party in 2003 to the
recent and last VI Congress of 10/12/2009, attentive and patient
we concluded that inside of the party MPLA the democracy goes by
the law of iron, that is, a party that their militants don't know
the opening to critical discuss, difference in the thought and in
the opinion even inside of the party and between
militant.
According the statutes of MPLA"s Party in their articles
55º and 59 defines that – The Congress is the supreme
organ of MPLA that determines the character and the ideological
orientation of the party and to whom assigns to appreciate and to
define the general lines of the national and international
politics that their guide the action and activities of the
structures and militant of MPLA, as well as of the social and
associated organizations and establishes, the objectives and the
periodical of realization of the Ordinaries
Congresses.
The Congress constitutes, such as, one moment of
reaffirmation of national unity, coercion and internal stability
of organs and organism of direction of the Party and constitutes
the guarantee of maintenance of standards of organization and
mobilization in all of continuations and sphere of
societies.
Like this, in terms of article 61º of statutes of
Party a) the Central Committee met in 27 of March of 2009 decides
to realize the VI Ordinary Congress of MPLA"s Party.
The VI Ordinary Congress of Party traced the following
objectives:
1. To appreciate and approve the report of
Central Committee to VI Ordinary Congress of
Party;2. To appreciate and approve the alterations
and adjustments to the Program of Party;3. To appreciate and approve the strategy of
motion;4. To elect the President of MPLA;
5. To elect the Central Committee of
MPLA;6. To approve the Resolutions and
Motions.
Composition of
Congress
The composition of the VI Ordinary Congress of Party
must have in consideration the base of militants of MPLA, their
structures of direction, their intermediates organs and their
social organizations and associated.
In this case they participated in VI Ordinary Congress
2100 delegates elected and by right.
So, in terms of the number 1 and 2 of article 57º
of statutes of Party, the Congress has the following
composition:
a) The President of Party;
b) The members of Central Committee ceased in
use of their rights;c) Delegates elected in provincial
conferences;d) The members of parliament group militants of
Party;e) The members of Government militants of
Party;f) Representatives of JMPLA (Youth of MPLA) of
OMA (Woman"s Organization of MPLA) and others social
organizations associated and elected in their
organizations;g) Delegates elected by assemblies in
structures of Party in outside of Country;h) Representatives of intermediate
organisms.
All these principles were reinforced by the resolution
of Party to prepare the VI Ordinary Congress that remembered the
principles defined in statutes and program of MPLA"s
Party.
Therefore what is written in the statutes in democracy
terms and elections is just an appearance of
principles.
In the perspective of the modern democracies, it is easy
to observe and to identify the party type that exercises the
political power in this or in that system of Government according
to democracy, and to verify who are the leaderships of this
State, what opening that party gives the society to participate
in the political decisions of the State? And it is enough to know
that what qualifies and legitimates the democracy are the
elections, like this, observing the organizative structure of the
party starting from the base to the top of the hierarchy of the
party, concretely in the precepts of the statutes of the art.
56th – Competences of the Congress, it defines in his d) to
choose the President of the party, finished or interrupted
his/her mandate. And e) to choose the members of the Central
comity finished the mandate of the organ.
It is interesting to observe what is written in the
statutes of the party and to verify uncoiling of the political
practice. If they no impose alterations in the manner of
political coexistence and to deepen the democracy interns in the
party, difficultly that party when assuming the power will accept
the government naturally for the democracy.
It is sad that the party MPLA founded to 53 years until
today never lived moments of election of the direction organs in
the party, the private case is going to the non election of the
President of the party from the foundation to today, always it
was left to compete as only unique candidate to his succession
and elect for support motion. To the other positions of the party
the scenery was always the same, just the nomination happens for
indication always starting from the central structure.
That danger excessively the winds of the democracy in
any society and it impedes the development of the State. Do I
question myself also, how will a party that just cultivates only
the obedience and the following allow between their militants and
the society in general to deepen the democracy and to live
together in the difference of opinions?
If we look the last VI Congress of the party, he had
seven fundamental objectives in that I refer with more importance
the points or objectives (5. To choose the President of Party)
and the (6. To choose the Central Comity members of MPLA). The
whole activity of elections was driven by the commission
electoral competent organ to organize, to direct and to supervise
the whole process of candidates and to proceed to the
verification and validation of the electoral act. But that didn't
happen like this in the true sense.
The great problem as academic and in my vision refer in
fact that, during the 53 years ago, as more the President, as the
militants of the party, never knew a contradictory political
process for election of his President.
My deep anxiety goes on the sense of appealing to the
future consequences of this political behavior, with serious
damages to the image of the party and for the State. For me, the
analyze of these consequence develop two ways in political
processes: the first will be the lack of the freedom of
expression in the party; the second will be the lack of the
behavior of accomplishment of the rules, norms, regalements as
principles that guides the social actions of groups,
organizations, Political Parties, Governments and
States.
It means that currently, all the political party that
does not liberate their militants of following and obeying
blindly, internally do not cult the difference of opinions, do
not present more than two candidates for election of President of
party.
As the case of the political party that I refer, is one
in the same case the President of the Republic, the situation
will be very complicated if one day in an internal electoral
process out of the votes of motion or indications. Or in the same
way become elected another President of Republic, all those men
habituated to see the unique candidate as President, will be the
first to claim, to reject and to conflict against the electoral
results.
Another appeals, is directed to alert the political
parties in not set the leadership above of the party, for not
fall in total disappearance with changing of regimen or political
system.
As it consists in the swinging of the end of the VI
Congress, he says that the party came out more united and
democratic, because it innovated and it reinforced the democracy
interns of the party. It is contradictory, because the party
contains her all of the levels a rigid discipline, in that the
only form of participating in the political decision is to lift
the hand to vote for a decision and to choose an organ of the
party. Under penalty of who doesn't obey an opponent to be
considered inside of the party and benefits loss. Same until
today on this era of the democracy in the breast of that party
never nobody showed like other candidate to compete for the
presidency of the party, is it spoken ironically in democracy,
how?
The VI Congress of MPLA approved the program and the
statutes and it reaffirms to be a political party ideologically
agrees in the democratic socialism, that it defends the social
justice, the humanism, the freedom, the equality and the
solidarity.
Before these statements the national and international
society was surprised, and does questions, if now the party
affirms to have innovated the democracy interns even without
verifying elections, and before? As Government, the party adopted
always the political and administrative centralization, without
the difference between being left and to be Government, without
opening the citizens' participation in the political decisions,
the means of communication of the State emit just everything in
favor of the party that Governs, the politicized justice, the
private sector to progress has to affiliate to the party in the
power. What crossed!
Ruined the absolute system and opened representative
government's system, it did with that the social forces that
historically took the name of political parties passed to carry
out a function of considerable importance in the destiny of all
of the state Communities. The philosophers that idealized the
origin of the parties and his functions, from Max Weber, Davi
Hume, Hobbes, Rousseau, Bolingbrok, Tcqueville and so many other
in spite of the direct critics to the political parties, but we
can recognize in their writings the principal functions of the
parties in the society.
Today in the modern democracy it grows more the public
function of the parties, they are them assigned of showing to the
electorate which the possible political options for the
Government, to select and to indicate candidates of his trust at
the same time to materialize their government programs, they
organize and they supervise the electoral process. But for effect
those purposes are necessary that the action of the party is not
disfigured by the domain of the oligarchy, for the corruption,
for the indiscipline, for a Government of commissions linked to
interests of a group or of foreigners, of flatterers, those
qualities are terrible as instruments the destruction of the
democracy.
The worst position during the Congress was when in the
speech of the opening to the VI Congress the President of the
party and of the Republic he recognizes that during the
government until today many mistakes and abuses of power were
committed. That the confident people for certain public offices
used the name of the State to waste the public properties, nobody
was judged nor convict, and we attended an unjust enrichment of
people that exercise the political power (make speeches of the
President). More interrogations rise before these blaspheme, same
they promise her tolerance zero for who inflict in the rules of
good Government after the Congress! And what did the innocent
citizen already pay the heavy price of this drama of Government,
what can more wait people of this party for?
To finish this theme, I would say that every quality of
a democratic political system of any Government has in his base
the existence of parties and a strong opposition with alternative
programs, last a responsibility of State that does a process of
the democracy to deepen in all of the levels of the
society.
Conclusion
I end in this essay with an short reflection and
analysis about the historical notion of the political parties,
particularizing the party of MPLA, founded in 1956, party that
Governs Angola more than 30 years the. The fundamental subject of
this theme was not to enter thoroughly in the elements
organizations and functional of the party, but to the principal
documents that guide the general political action of the party,
and with larger analysis to the statutory principles that define
them inside base of the democracy of the party and of the
elections of organs of direction of the party.
As party and as Government, my critical thought was to
observe the beginnings regulated in the statutes in contrast with
the model adopted in the exercise of their activities and of the
political power in relation to the principles of the
representative democratic systems modern. When understanding that
the qualities of the democracy are agrees in the political
competition of ideas and programs, and resells the programs and
ideological strategies taken to cable by the party from his V
Congress 2003 until the recent VI Congress 12/10/2009, it is
noticed that the will of Governing in the democracy is not an
objective, in the party and in the State. Because, the democracy
cannot be separated of the processes of elections or of the
citizens' participation in the political decisions.
References
1. Democracy and the party system in the United State,
Moises Ostrogorski, Reprint Edition 1974. Arno Press
Inc.
2. Democracy in America, Alex of Tocqueville, Bruce
Frohnen, 2002. Regnery Publishing Inc.
3. The struggle goes democracy in Chile, Paul W Drake;
Ivan Jaksic rev. ed. 1995. Lincoln, University of Nebraska
Press.
4. Political parties and democracy, Larry Jay Diamond,
Richard Gunther 2001. The Johns Hopkins University
Press:
5. Political Actors and social fights: The social
movements and the political parties, Aloísio Ruscheinsky
1st edition 1999. Porto Alegre, EDIPUCRS.
6.
http://www.mpla-angola.org/vicongresso/1.RESOLU.%
7. http://www.mpla-angola.org/estatutos
8. http://www.wiki.org
Autor:
Augusto Domingos Chinjamba
Master: Political Sciences
Atlantic International University – USA,
Honolulu
Assignment title: Democracy in party and party congress
(Document SUPLEMENT)
Date: 22/12/2009