CENPA-173~07 |
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the direction of more decentralization of power. However, certain questions arise which the Organic Law does not answer, namely, who shall control these local administrative and legislative councils? The same law indicates that the Portuguese central government in Lisbon, and the "provincial" government in Lourenco Marques will retain the power to dissolve these bodies whenever they deem it necessary. The fact that these local councils v/ill be elected by the people does not give us any sense of security whatsoever, once we are told that they can be dissolved by a government whose officers are not elected but directly chosen by Lisbon. This is not a move towards more and more decentralization of power, but the very opposite: a more efficient control of the people with a pretence of democracy. b) The Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs also pointed to the fact that the new Law provides for the election of all the representatives of the African territories in the Territorial Legislative Councils, instead of the previous method of mixed elected and appointed representation. From now on, "all will be elected, when previously some were nominated", he said, "... and the election will be made on the basis of a new electoral law, according to which the people will participate in the election not only of members of the Legislative Council but also of Tribal Councils, Municipal Councils, Economic and Social Councils, the Overseas Council, the Corporative Chamber and the National Assembly, The electorate will be considerably increased, and in March I964 there will be new elections, based on the new laws and regulations." The Foreign Minister went on to state that "the intention of these elections was to elect the members of the various administrative and political bodies at all levels. In connection with this, last March the promised elections took place, in Mozambique, Angola and Portuguese Guinea. We have already collected some of the most crucial information concerning the manner in which these elections were organized and carried out, as well as the results of the elections, especially in reference to the Legislative Council. In Mozambique there were 93*079 persons who were allowed to register as voters, in a total population of a little over 7 million inhabitants. This signifies about \°/o of the total population. But, the number of voters in each district
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Title | CENPA-173~07 |
Filename | CENPA-173~07.tiff |
Full text | the direction of more decentralization of power. However, certain questions arise which the Organic Law does not answer, namely, who shall control these local administrative and legislative councils? The same law indicates that the Portuguese central government in Lisbon, and the "provincial" government in Lourenco Marques will retain the power to dissolve these bodies whenever they deem it necessary. The fact that these local councils v/ill be elected by the people does not give us any sense of security whatsoever, once we are told that they can be dissolved by a government whose officers are not elected but directly chosen by Lisbon. This is not a move towards more and more decentralization of power, but the very opposite: a more efficient control of the people with a pretence of democracy. b) The Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs also pointed to the fact that the new Law provides for the election of all the representatives of the African territories in the Territorial Legislative Councils, instead of the previous method of mixed elected and appointed representation. From now on, "all will be elected, when previously some were nominated", he said, "... and the election will be made on the basis of a new electoral law, according to which the people will participate in the election not only of members of the Legislative Council but also of Tribal Councils, Municipal Councils, Economic and Social Councils, the Overseas Council, the Corporative Chamber and the National Assembly, The electorate will be considerably increased, and in March I964 there will be new elections, based on the new laws and regulations." The Foreign Minister went on to state that "the intention of these elections was to elect the members of the various administrative and political bodies at all levels. In connection with this, last March the promised elections took place, in Mozambique, Angola and Portuguese Guinea. We have already collected some of the most crucial information concerning the manner in which these elections were organized and carried out, as well as the results of the elections, especially in reference to the Legislative Council. In Mozambique there were 93*079 persons who were allowed to register as voters, in a total population of a little over 7 million inhabitants. This signifies about \°/o of the total population. But, the number of voters in each district |
Archival file | Volume11/CENPA-173~07.tiff |