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Mozambique - Politics

The new constitution adopted in 1990 introduced into the country a multiparty democratic system and a free-market economy, thus paving the way for the peace process. Negotiations mediated by the Italian Roman Catholic community of Sant’Egidio culminated in a peace agreement in October 1992; a UN peacekeeping force arrived in July 1993, and demobilisation of troops began in mid-March 1994. In the multiparty elections of October 1994, Frelimo’s Joaquim Chissano was re-elected with 53% of the votes in the presidential election, while Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama won 34%. The parliamentary elections gave 44% of the votes to Frelimo (129 seats), 38% to Renamo (112 seats) and 5% to the Democratic Union (nine seats).

Mozambique, which had long been interested in Commonwealth membership, became the Commonwealth’s 53rd member (and the first not to have once been associated with the British Empire) with the agreement of all the other members, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in New Zealand in November 1995.

In July 1999, 11 opposition parties agreed to support Dhlakama as their joint candidate for the presidency. The presidential and parliamentary elections were held on 3, 4 and 5 December 1999 (the third day was added after heavy rain made voting difficult in some parts of the country). Chissano and Frelimo both won by a narrow margin – Chissano taking 52.3% of the popular vote against Dhlakama’s 47.7%, while Frelimo took 48.5% and 133 seats against Renamo’s 38.8% and 117 seats.

Chissano announced in mid-2001 that he would not stand for a third term in the election due in 2004 and in June 2002 Frelimo selected Armando Guebuza as its new leader and presidential candidate. At the second annual assembly of the African Union in Maputo in July 2003, Chissano took over the chairmanship and immediately became engaged in resolving conflict in various African countries.

The 2004 elections were held in December and Guebuza – with 63.7% of the votes – and Frelimo – with 160 seats – were well ahead of Dhlakama (31.7%) and Renamo (90 seats). Renamo immediately alleged electoral fraud and threatened to boycott parliament. Commonwealth observers and experts, who attended the elections, expressed concern at the low turnout (estimated at 36%); they further concluded that conditions did exist for the free expression of the will of the people but that some degree of fraud had taken place which could conceivably have been sufficient to affect the results.