Meeting
brought together legalized and non-legalized political parties to discuss
current laws amendments
The government of
Equatorial Guinea held a national dialogue with the goal of reviewing and
improving the current laws affecting the political parties of the country. All
political parties and movements, including expatriate groups, were invited to
participate. The meetings were held at the Sipopo Conference Center in the
capital city of Malabo on November 7-15, 2014.
National
dialogue participants reviewed the national laws affecting political
participation, expression and organization, such as the Political Parties Law,
the Meeting and Demonstration Law; the Binding Pact and its evaluation; as well
as the Regulatory Law of Presidential Elections.
Participants
were able to work on an agreement to facilitate the creation of political
parties offer proposals
for amendments to these laws, and offer initiates to open the political
environment in the country. The Government has already agreed to the removal of
the deposit of 30 million CFA francs to found a new political party and reduce
the number of co-founders in different constituencies necessary.
After a weeklong
series debates, participants agreed on some necessary changes. They made numerous
modifications in the principal laws related to elections and political parties,
relaxed the requirements to create political parties and stand for election,
and established new rules to keep better track of the Binding Pact of parties,
which will guide the development of multiparty democracy in Equatorial Guinea.
The legalized
political parties that signed the final agreement included the Democratic Party
of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), Popular Union (UP), Democratic Liberal Convention
(CLD), Social Democratic Party (PSD), Progressive Democratic Alliance (ADP),
Social Democratic Union (UDS), Democratic and Popular Social Convergence
(CSDP), Party of the Democratic Social Coalition (PCSD), Popular Action of
Equatorial Guinea (APGE), National Democratic Union (UDENA), Socialist Party of
Equatorial Guinea (PSGE), and Liberal Party (PL).
The
non-legalized signing parties were: Center Right Union (UCD), Independent
Candidature (CI), Renewed Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDSR)
Self-Determination Movement of the Island of Bioko (MAIB), Popular Union (UP),
National Democratic Party (PND), National Liberation Front of Equatorial Guinea
(FRENALIGE) and Faction of Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea (APGE). Among
the independent activists: Ramon Ecoro, of Sweden and the group of the civil
society coming from Gabon.
In his opening
remarks, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo said, “Democracy and national unity
must be priorities in the problems that affect the nation, since it has been
thanks to preserving the peace that the development and progress the country is
experiencing has been guaranteed.”
He continued to say, “Where there is no dialogue, there cannot be peace
and stability; where there are no public liberties, there cannot be
institutional development, like there is in Equatorial Guinea, despite the fact
that we are a young country.”
“The processes of consensual dialogue has guaranteed peace and
development. Equatorial Guinea, which used to be a poor country and is now a
model country of development in Africa, thanks to the peace that guarantees
this continual progress. We have adopted the Horizon 2020 Development Plan in
which the representatives of the Government, the political sector and civil
society participate. All human work is susceptible to error. This dialogue was
not called due to a crisis situation; it is a meeting that the Government has
provided. In the country there is an atmosphere of peace, stability and
national harmony,” added
Obiang.
Obiang encouraged
political parties to have a dialogue for the betterment of the country. “We are
a young country that does not have the political experience of other older
nations; for this reason it is necessary to listen to other compatriots that,
from another point of view, express their disconformity with the evolution of
our country.
“This political process has allowed the reform of the Constitution on
three occasions,” the
President said, “with the
participation of all the political agents who expressed their willingness to
participate in these changes; which have been backed in referendum by the
people of Equatorial Guinea.”
While addressing
the political parties, President Obiang said that this dialogue was not called
because Equatorial Guinea is experiencing a crisis, and much less a state of
war or of exception; it is a roundtable discussion that the Government promotes
to listen to the politicians that disseminate distorted opinions on the
Equatoguinean reality.
Jacob Zuma,
President of the Republic of South Africa, sent a congratulatory message to
President Obiang applauding the national dialogue initiative and said this was “a good opportunity to explain constructive
options, that ensure the progress of Africa.”
Prior to the
national dialogue, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo granted an amnesty to all
citizens who had been convicted of political crimes, whether or not they
have served or are serving sentences, and to those who have begun any
disciplinary action that constitutes an obstacle to the exercise of political
activities. The government also covered airfare
for expatriates through Equatorial Guinea’s national airline, Ceiba
Intercontinental, on its Madrid-Malabo flights to encourage all political
parties to participate in this historical meeting.
This was the
fifth national dialogue the government of Equatorial Guinea has organized since
its independence in 1979. It has granted three previous general amnesties.
Some opposition
leaders walked out of the conference on the first working day, but returned
later. Some groups and activists of the diaspora asked the Government to
facilitate the legalization of their parties and release two prisoners they considered
to be political. On Friday night, the Prime Minister, Vicente Ehate Tomi,
confirmed that both issues had also been accepted by the Government, and the
two prisoners were released on that same day.
Rules were also
introduced so that the state communications media would reserve free promotion
and advertising space for the different democratic factions, and their commitment
to giving proportional and neutral treatment.
In his closing
remarks, Obiang said, “We believe that
the consensus that was reached has a national scope, since from now on its
decisions will benefit the development of the democracy in our country and will
strengthen all the political groups. This Dialogue has not acted to satisfy the
desires of a political group, but rather of all the political forces of the
Nation as a whole. We believe that the set of laws that protect public freedom
was amply reviewed, and we have been able to listen to the important claims
posed by the political forces. If any important decision has been taken by this
dialogue, it has been thanks to the experience and political maturity of the
active participation of everyone.”
Obiang discussed
the economic situation in Equatorial Guinea and said that 30%, of revenue from
oil remains in the country, while 70% goes out of the country to the
exploration and extraction companies. “However,” he said, “we are adequately administering these
resources.”
He also referred
to the country’s incipient economic recession. “The current economic recession, due to the fluctuation of the price of
oil, along with the great development of infrastructure, advises a change of
mentality, in order not to live with the income from oil, but rather to exploit
our creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, and avoid the complacency of the
so-called ‘Dutch disease.’”
He warned, “We must cultivate a mentality of economic
solvency of the citizens, in order to create a society capable of defending any
economic recession.”
The national
dialogue brought together the government of Equatorial Guinea, non-governmental
organizations, ambassadors, other international and national observers, legalized
political parties in the country: Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE),
Popular Union (UP), Democratic Liberal Convention (CLD), Social Democrat Party
(PSD), Progressive Democratic Alliance (ADP), National Democratic Union (UDN),
Democratic and Popular Social Convergence (CSDP), Party of the Democratic
Social Coalition (PCSD), Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS), Popular
Action of Equatorial Guinea (APGE), National Democratic Union (UDN), Socialist
Party of Equatorial Guinea (PSGE), Liberal Party (PL), National Liberation Front of Equatorial Guinea (FRENALIGE), Opposition
Coalition for the Restoration of a Democratic State (CORED); the
diaspora: the Independent Candidature (CI), the Self-Determination Movement of
the Island of Bioko (MAIB), Republican Democrat Force (FDR) and the Center
Right Union (UCD); other independent political parties in the interior of the
country such as Center Right Union (UCD), Republican Democrat Force (FDR),
Independent Candidature (CI) and others joined the national dialogue as well.
