allAfrica.com: Angola: 'Rebuild Country On A Fairer Basis' (Page 1 of 2)

In the second and final part of AllAfrica's interview with General Paulo Lukamba "Gato", the interim leader of the former Angolan rebel movement, Unita, he discusses the impact and repercussions of the death of the Unita leader, Jonas Savimbi, on the long-running civil war in Angola. General Gato also outlines Unita's political strategy as the leading opposition party in Angola, as well as the movement's prospects in nationwide elections tentatively scheduled for 2004.

Talking strictly politics now. You are here in Washington seated side by side with the deputy Angolan foreign minister, Georges Chikoti. He said Angola must not rush to hold elections this time, after what happened in 1992, when disputed elections were followed by a return to war. What is Unita's view on a date for elections?

The last meeting of the governing MPLA party set 2004 as the probable date for the elections.

Do you consider that date realistic?

It depends on the situation. But there must be no confusion between democracy and elections. So what we need now in Angola is a deeper understanding and entrenchment of democracy. We must create the right conditions -- political, psychological and moral -- so that Angolans can, at last, turn over a new chapter in their history. The elections are simply a part of this process.

That's why we say, yes, it's very important to hold elections but, before that, we have to consolidate democracy in our country. And this solid entrenchment of democracy is the capacity of all political parties to operate in total freedom and independence across the nation.

And I suppose at the end of the process you want to see credible elections?

Quite right. We must create the necessary mechanisms to place the elections within a larger framework, in a credible electoral process, so that whatever the result, whatever the outcome, everyone will acknowledge and agree that the process was free and fair.

So when you do envisage holding elections in Angola -- in 2004, 2005 or 2006?

2004 is a reasonable reference date. But it will depend on the current political dynamic and the level of openness the government is prepared to display, to enable all political parties to operate freely and equitably. That's the most important thing. Also what will be the role of civil society? What will be the role of the independent media? These are the three or four factors that will need to be checked at the end of the day, for us to conclude whether or not the process was truly transparent and equitable. And, above all, this will allow us to judge the correctness of the election.

Coming back to the issue of former Unita-controlled areas, one of the perennial complaints from Unita was that the Ovimbundu region -- Jonas Savimbi's stronghold and power base -- was largely marginalised by the government in Luanda. What is your message to the government now?

Our message is clear. Now that the war is over, we must rebuild the country on a much fairer basis. We must rebuild the infrastructure, especially the roads. There must be an equitable redistribution of Angola's resources. This must be a redistribution of funds on a just basis, so that the whole country will benefit from the country's revenues.

We are living in a country where 75 percent of the population lives in the rural areas. So, we must work hard to develop what is called the 'hinterland'. We need to get right to those parts that, in the colonial days, they called the 'back of beyond or the land at the end of the earth'. The people who live there are still Angolans and they too must benefit from the resources that this country has. What we must put before the people of Angola is a plan, a political programme that is all-inclusive, for the whole of society, and takes into consideration not only the coastal areas, but also the interior.

Is that a challenge or a warning for the government?

Actually, it's more our duty. It's the duty of every government that is proud to call itself a government. The war is over, but where is the programme for peace? What are we going to do with the peace we now have? Is the government capable of taking action? If it's not, I think that Unita is certainly in a position to put forward a plan which includes all Angolans and has the whole country in mind.

So, do you see Unita as being a vocal, strong and effective opposition to the MPLA government or do you see yourselves possibly winning planned elections and becoming the government?

We are an historical party, which is almost 37 years' old. The oldest party in Angola is 40 years' old. So Unita is not new to this. We have considerable experience in these matters, and we are absolutely capable of offering Angolans a credible alternative.

Yes, it's true, we are going to be in the opposition for the meantime, a constructive opposition, but our aim is to be able to give a jumpstart to an alternative way forward in our country that is absolutely possible, especially because Angolans are truly tired of war. The government's image is ruined after 27 years of catastrophic leadership. So, there is the chance that Angolans are ready for a new government, with new faces on the political scene.

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