Luanda — About 150 journalists with state and privately run organs will attend a two-day training on "Media and the elections in Angola" starting on Tuesday in Luanda under the Journalists Training Centre (Cefojor).

Speaking to Angop, Cefojor director, Albino Carlos, said the programme is designed to upgrade journalists for a full coverage of the elections, taking into account the importance of the social communication in the country's democratisation process.

According to the official, with the training, Angolan social communication is expected to play an active role in the mobilisation of the citizens to attend the next legislative elections set for September this year.

He also said that the body of lecturers for the programme includes National Electoral Commission (CNE) jurists, sociologists, politicians, local and foreign journalists from Brazil, Portugal, USA, Britain and South Africa.

Albino Carlos said as well the programme of training will go until June this years throughout the country.

He mentioned that a regional seminar will be held on May 2-3 in central Huambo city, with the participation of journalists from the provinces of Benguela, Bié and Kwanza Sul. This is also part of the celebrations of the World Press Freedom Day, May 3.

Northern Bengo province will host a training programme for local and journalists from the provinces of Luanda Malanje and Kwanza Norte on May 29-30 this year, whereas Cabinda will gather media people from Uíje and Zaire provinces.

Southern Cunene will be host to journalists from Namibe, Huila and Kuando Kubango on June 5-6 this year, while Lunda Sul will receive media personnel from Lunda Norte and Moxico.

To the Cefojor director, journalists are expected to be prepared to dissipate the tension surrounding the elections and make the voters to participate in a peaceful and orderly way in the process, thus securing fair and free elections.

The source underlined that the quality of democracy depends partly on the quality of the public service offered by journalists and the role of the media organs.

The seminar will tackle such topics as the role of the media in the consolidation of democracy, the media in the electoral legislation, radio, television and print media coverage of election and the Portuguese, Brazilian and South African electoral coverage experience.

The importance of the media in the electoral civic education, journalistic objectivity in the electoral coverage, US electoral system and electoral coverage in Angola - experience of 1992, are also part of the training programme.