anteed in the constitution. The most serious case was the continuous refusal by Angolan authorities to permit Radio Ecclesia to broadcast countrywide. Police aggression towards journalists remained a reality. In addition, the demolition of homes and the abusive expropriation of land by the authorities also took place in Luanda. These human rights violations were denounced by non-governmental organisations such as SOS Habitat and Mão Livres (Free Hands). The process of nominating an ombudsman, as provided in the constitution, failed to respect the ‘Paris Principles’, which state that an ombudsman should be independent from the executive and impartial to all other sectors of civil society. In addition, the nomination process should be consultative. The Association for Justice, Peace and Democracy (AJPD) echoed the reactions to human rights violations, including the intimidation by government officials of rural citizens who access the private media. The Civic Mpalabanda Association, in the far northern province of Cabinda, also condemned several human rights violations. Low levels of conflict between government forces and separatist groups, as well as social and political unrest, are still experienced in Cabinda. During the second quarter of 2005, government intelligence officers attempted to purchase the entire run of an edition of the weekly Agora which carried an article relating to the performance of their chief, whose practices of infiltration, enticement and threats against the media were publicly known. Defamation, access to information and self-censorship The private media continued to face difficulties in accessing information as some sources fear retaliation if they release certain facts. Obstacles to accessing information remained, especially with regard to official sources of information. Despite the fact that many institutions employ information officers and spokespersons, accessing information remained a struggle for journalists. Cases of corruption allegedly involving state institutions or government officials further eroded government’s transparency. Despite there being major difficulties in accessing information, journalists also fail to make use of the Law of Administrative Acts, which allows them to launch complaints. Censorship within the state media, mainly on issues considered to be negative by the government such as corruption, is a common occurrence. State media journalists fear retaliation or even dismissal if they report accurately and impartially. Broadcasting The broadcasting sector remained controversial, with the government refusing to allow Radio Ecclesia to broadcast countrywide. In addition, various political entities and sectors of civil society criticised what they called the partial coverage of their activities. In April 2005, MISA Angola established its ‘13 Weeks’ campaign, in line with the regional ‘Open the Airwaves’ campaign, through a one-hour radio programme aired on Radio Ecclesia. It had a positive impact, with the public calling for true public broadcasting services and the expansion of the Radio Ecclesia signal. So This Is Democracy? 2005 -29- Media Institute of Southern Africa