The main political, economic and social issues that are presently affecting the lives pf Angolan citizens include the fight against poverty; the resettlement of displaced people and refugees; the struggle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic; the disarmament of the civil population; transparency by government about oil revenues; the fight against corruption; and the resolution of the conflict in the northern province of Cabinda.

The body that will coordinate the electoral process, the National Electoral Commission, has already been set up and a new press law which was approved on 3 February 2006 is in place.

The new law however did not solve the problem of state monopoly of the broadcast landscape as the state is still the only broadcaster on short wave (a frequency that reaches the whole nation) change anything on the issue of state monopoly in broadcasting on short waves or regarding the establishment of a new independent regulatory body for the broadcasting sector.

The end of the civil war created new opportunities for Angolans to exercise their fundamental rights including the right to participate in the country's democratic process. Nevertheless, the level of democracy in the country
is still very low.

The gap between the fundamental rights and freedoms set up in the Angolan Constitution, its laws and the international treaties it has ratified and the realization of those rights and freedom is still exists.
With a high rate of illiteracy rate of 58% which has hampered the full participation of the Angolan population in the decision- making process and the access to written information, Angola however, is living a crucial period of its history.

This is a period when Angolans are challenged to exercise their rights and freedoms, to be critically aware of the situation of their country, to call for access to information through the traditional or the alternatives means of communication in order to consolidate peace and to build an effective democracy in Angola. Read more