Angola: Constitution
Updated January 2010
2010 Constitution
On 21 January 2010 the National Assembly of Angola passed a new Constitution into law the replaces the Constitution of 1992. The new Constitution must be ratified by the Constitutional Court and promulgated by the President before coming into effect (Angola Press 2010).
The text below was finalised by the Constitutional Commission of the National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Comissão Constitucional) on the 13 January 2010 and passed by the National Assembly without amendment on 21 January 2010 with 186 votes in favour, two abstentions and none against. The session was boycotted by the largest opposition party UNITA.
Constituição da República de Angola 2010, [www] http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/AO/constituicao-da-republica-de-angola-2010/ [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 25 Jan 2010)
By comparison with the Constitution of 1992 the 2010 Constitution introduces the following main changes:
- Election of President: The President will no longer be directly elected. Instead the person that heads up the list of the party that gains the most votes in the National Assembly proportional representation election will automatically become president.
- Executive structure: The post of Prime Minister is abolished and executive responsibility concentrated in the hands of the president. The President is empowered to appoint a Vice President to assist with governance.
- Executive powers: The president is empowered to appoint the judges of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and the Court Audit.
References
CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA 2010. For Portuguese see Constituição da República de Angola 2010, [www] http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/AO/constituicao-da-republica-de-angola-2010/ [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 25 Jan 2010).
ANGOLA PRESS 2010 " New Constitution takes effect after promulgation by president", [www] http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/noticias/politica/2010/0/3/New-Constitution-takes-effect-after-promulgation-president,7b5c1d47-2957-43bb-be05-7143f3615f4c.html [opens new window] (accessed 25 Jan 2010).
