,,iii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #gcf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august   
#b1 #bjbb,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1   
,mr4 ,cardin1 and ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7    
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,relations  ,,resolution       
,calling on the ,government of ,angola  
to hold free1 fair1 and peaceful        
elections on ,august #bd1 #bjbb1 and for
 other purposes4  ,whereas the ,republic
 of ,angola will hold a general election
 to elect its ,president and ,national  
,assembly on ,august #bd1 #bjbb2        
,whereas this year's election will be   
,angola's fifth multiparty election     
since #aiib2 ,whereas ,angola's #b main 
political parties1 the ,people's        
,movement for the ,liberation of ,angola
 7,,mpla7 and the ,national ,union for  
the ,total ,independence of ,angola     
7,,unita71 were the principal           
belligerents in the country's #bf-year  
civil war2 ,whereas ,angola experienced 

its first presidential electoral        
transition in #bjag1 when ,president    
,joao ,lourenco of the ,,mpla succeeded 
,jose ,eduardo dos ,santos1 also of the 
,,mpla1 who ruled ,angola for #ch years2
 ,whereas1 despite holding regular      
elections and having active political   
opposition parties1 ,angola is          
classified as 8,not ,free0 by ,freedom  
,house due to the ruling ,,mpla's abuse 
of ,state institutions to control       
political processes and limit free      
expression2 ,whereas mass media in      
,angola is controlled or highly         
influenced by the ,state1 independent   
journalists face harassment1 opposition 
parties are subject to bureaucratic     
interference1 and fewer than half of    
,angolans feel free to speak their mind1
 according to a #bjai poll by           
,afrobarometer2 ,whereas ,angola is in a
 period of economic and social crisis1  
with widespread frustration over the    
poor state of the oil-based economy and 
persistently high rates of poverty1     

inequality1 and public corruption2      
,whereas1 since #bjbj1 ,angolans have   
expressed their dissatisfaction through 
frequent public protests1 which have    
been met with arrests and police        
violence against protesters2 and        
,whereas the failure to hold a credible 
election will dangerously exacerbate    
political tensions in ,angola3 ,now1    
therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate--    
7#a7 calls on the ,government of ,angola
 to hold free1 fair1 and peaceful       
elections on ,august #bd1 #bjbb2  7#b7  
urges the ,government of ,angola to     
ensure the credibility of elections by--
 7,a7 allowing for all parties and      
candidates to campaign without undue    
restriction1 harassment1 or             
intimidation2  7,b7 publishing and      
freely disseminating electoral          
information1 including voter rolls and  
election results2  7,c7 permitting the  
unrestricted participation of           
independent election monitors1 including
 by inviting the ,european ,union to    

send an election observation mission1 as
 the ,european ,union has stated it is  
prepared to do2  7,d7 ceasing the use of
 ,state resources and institutions to   
support or promote particular political 
parties or candidates2 and  7,e7        
reversing the ban on opinion polling    
during elections2  7#c7 urges all       
political parties in ,angola to pledge  
that they will not use violence during  
or after the election1 will respect the 
outcome of the vote1 and will           
investigate any disputes peacefully1    
using legal mechanisms2  7#d7 urges the 
people of ,angola to exercise their     
right to vote on election day2  7#e7    
calls on all parties to work together1  
whatever the outcome of the election1 to
 develop and implement a broad-based    
reform agenda1 undertaken in            
collaboration with civil society1 that  
will address the most urgent issues     
facing ,angola1 including by pursuing   
policies that-- 7,a7 reduce inequality  
and poverty including by increasing     

employment opportunities1 especially for
 youth1 women1 and other marginalized   
groups2  7,b7 diversify the economy1    
privatize ,state-owned enterprises in a 
fair and transparent manner1 attract    
foreign investment1 improve public      
financial management and oversight1 and 
protect labor and property rights2  7,c7
 seek to eliminate public corruption at 
all levels1 including by prosecuting    
corrupt actors without exception2 and   
7,d7 enhance and improve civil          
liberties1 human rights1 and free       
expression for all ,angolans2  7#f7     
calls on the ,united ,states ,government
 to hold ,angolan officials accountable 
for any attempts to subvert the         
electoral process2 and  7#g7 stands with
 the people of ,angola and supports     
their aspirations for a free1 democratic
 election4