Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the elections held in late 2008 in Angola. [20941/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Angola's first parliamentary election since 1992 took place in September 2008. The ruling MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) party won a landslide majority, with 82% of votes and a total of 191 seats out of 220. The main opposition party UNITA (the National Union for the Independence of Angola) had held 70 seats but retained only 16.

An EU election observation mission said that the elections represented a 'positive step towards strengthening democracy', despite organisational weaknesses and the state's control of the media. The EU mission did not, however, go so far as to describe the elections as free and fair.

The 2008 elections, even though they were not perfect, represented an important milestone for Angola on the democratic path. Turnout was estimated at over 75%, which was a demonstration of the Angolan people's enthusiasm for the democratic process. The elections passed off peacefully, which is significant given that the results of the previous election in Angola in 1992 were violently disputed, leading to the re-intensification of the civil war.

UNITA challenged electoral results in the capital Luanda, and four other parties challenged the distribution of seats, but the Constitutional Court rejected complaints due to lack of evidence. Following this ruling, all parties accepted the result of the election.

The Embassy of Ireland in Maputo is accredited to Angola. Since 2008, Ireland has provided over €4 million in assistance to Angola. This has included €855,000 to support mine clearance efforts and to provide some assistance to the victims of land mines. In addition, over €3.5 million has been provided to non-governmental and missionary organisations in support of their work in the areas of HIV&AIDS, food security, accountable governance, land rights and advocacy. More than half of our EU partners have resident missions in Angola, and the EU remains fully engaged in order to support democratic participation in the next elections, which are scheduled for 2012.