Deputies from the 1st, 2nd, and 10th specialized working committees of the National Assembly proposed on Thursday (15) to the Executive a renewable 180-day period for the temporary suspension of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in cases of actions that diverge from legally established norms in the country.
The recommendation was presented during the detailed discussion and voting on the Draft Law Approving the NGO Statute, with parliamentarians concluding the debate by approving the subsequent chapters of the document, under the coordination of the 1st Committee chairman, António Paulo.
The extension of the proposed period by the legislators, from 120 days to 180 days renewable, resulted from consensus among the deputies regarding adjustments to certain measures that the Government plans to apply to NGOs according to the statute.
Clearer Legal Framework
Justice and Human Rights Minister Marcy Lopes stated that the proposal was debated over approximately three days and approved by consensus in all its chapters. Only the validation of the joint report, scheduled for Monday, remains.
Marcy Lopes added that the law aims to make the legal system clearer and more robust in regulating NGOs, responding to observations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Regarding the suspension of activities, he considered the solution of 120 days renewable as balanced, allowing adjustments both by the State and the affected organizations.
Draft Initially Proposed 120-Day Suspension
Initially, the proposal from the UNITA Parliamentary Group during the discussion of Chapter IX was for a temporary suspension of 120 days, renewable once if necessary, as described by deputy Mihaela Webba.
Regarding the extension of the period, the 10th Committee chairman, Vigílio Tyova, argued that the NGO should remain suspended until the criminal process concludes if the temporary suspension is based on illicit activity leading to a criminal case.
“Otherwise, we would be allowing the NGO to resume activity after 120 days without a judicial decision. That does not seem right,” he said, adding that the extension period may be short due to administrative or judicial intervention.
Vigílio Tyova also stated that the competent authority must have a timeframe to decide the outcome of the case.
Following this approach, session chairman António Paulo proposed extending the period to 180 days, renewable once if necessary. The suggestion was adopted by the two main political forces in Parliament and the Executive, as proponent.
“The compromise is a six-month extension. If, after 12 months, the issue is not resolved, the administrative authority must initiate the competent judicial process so that the continuation of the suspension is decreed by the Public Prosecutor or the Court,” he explained.
Government Considers the Proposal Balanced
Justice and Human Rights Minister, representing the Executive in the discussions, regarded the deputies’ proposal as a good and balanced solution, ensuring that both the State and the targeted NGO can adjust their activities according to legally defined rules.
According to Marcy Lopes, this legislative initiative aims to make the Angolan legal system more robust regarding the regulation of NGOs. “As is publicly known, we underwent an evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and one of the non-compliance considerations identified was the absence of specific norms regulating NGO matters, as well as clear procedures for a monitoring, oversight, and evaluation body by the State,” the minister explained, justifying why the Executive submitted the Draft Law to the National Assembly.
Source: Angola
