National Assembly (Angola) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids National Assembly Assembleia Nacional
5th National Assembly
Type
Type	Unicameral
Houses	National Assembly
History
Founded	1980; 45 years ago (1980)
Leadership
President	João Lourenço, MPLA
President of the National Assembly	Carolina Cerqueira, MPLA Since 16 September 2022
Secretary General	Pedro Neri, MPLA
Structure
Seats	220
National Assembly political groups	Government (124)      MPLA (124) Official opposition (90)      UNITA (90) Other parties (6)      FNLA (2)      Social Renewal (2)      Humanist Party (2)
Elections
National Assembly voting system	Closed-list proportional representation
National Assembly last election	24 August 2022
National Assembly next election	2027
Meeting place
National Assembly building in Luanda

The National Assembly (Portuguese: Assembleia Nacional) is the main law-making body of the government in Angola. It is the only group that makes national laws. This means Angola has a unicameral system, like having just one main team for making rules.

Since Angola became independent in 1975, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party has usually had the most members in the Assembly. For many years, multi-party elections were delayed. The first major election with many parties happened in 1992.

In 2010, Angola got a new constitution. This new rulebook gave more power to the President. It also made the National Assembly and the courts less powerful.

How Members Are Chosen

The National Assembly has 220 members. These members are chosen in two main ways.

• Ninety members are elected from 18 different areas, called constituencies. Each area elects five members.
• The other 130 members are chosen based on how many votes each party gets across the whole country.

What the National Assembly Does

The Angolan government has three main parts: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.

• The executive branch includes the President, Vice-Presidents, and the Council of Ministers. They carry out the laws.
• The legislative branch is the National Assembly. It makes the laws.
• The judicial branch is made up of the courts, which interpret the laws.

Because of past civil wars, the President has held a lot of power in Angola. The Assembly also has different committees. These groups help with the daily tasks and management of the Assembly.

Choosing Members in the Past (Since 1980)

In 1980, the National Assembly was planned to have 229 elected members. They would serve for three years after being elected.

Anyone in Angola who was 18 years old could vote. However, people with a criminal record or those who were part of certain groups could not vote.

Representatives from local assemblies would choose the members for the national Parliament. Candidates had to talk to citizens in public meetings. Most people in their home area had to agree to their nomination.

In 1980, a change to the constitution said that a national assembly would replace an earlier council. There would also be 18 elected local assemblies.

Where the Assembly Meets

The first building for the National Assembly, also called the People's Assembly, was in a place called Estúdio/Restauração Cinema in Luanda.

A new building for the National Assembly started being built in 2009. It was finished and opened in 2015. This new building is part of a larger area called the Political Administrative Centre.

This big center includes the Presidential Palace, the Palace of Justice, and several government ministries. The new Assembly building has 4,600 seats in total, with 1,200 seats in meeting rooms. It also has a large underground parking area.

The building was built by a Portuguese company. It was opened by the former President, José Eduardo dos Santos, in November 2015.

How Political Parties Have Performed

The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) has been the main party in the Assembly since Angola became independent in 1975.

In the 1980s, Angola was a one-party state. This meant the MPLA was the only legal party. Jose Eduardo dos Santos won the elections in 1980 and 1986. Most candidates were from the MPLA party.

The Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) continued for many years. The MPLA fought against another group called UNITA. Both sides received help from other countries.

In 1991, President Dos Santos and UNITA's leader signed a peace agreement. This agreement allowed for more than one political party.

Dos Santos also won the presidential elections in 1992, 2008, and 2012. In the 1992 election, which was the first multi-party election, UNITA won 70 seats in the Assembly. However, in later elections (2008 and 2012), UNITA won fewer seats. The MPLA continued to win many seats.

After the new constitution was adopted in 2010, the President's power grew. The power of the National Assembly and the courts became less.

See also

In Spanish: Asamblea Nacional de Angola para niños

• List of presidents of the National Assembly of Angola
• Politics of Angola
• List of legislatures by country