Politics

The politics of Mozambique takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Mozambique is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Assembly of the Republic.

Mozambique is a multi-party democracy under the 1990 constitution. The executive branch comprises a President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. There is a National Assembly and municipal assemblies. The judiciary comprises a Supreme Court and provincial, district, and municipal courts. Suffrage is universal at eighteen.

In 1994, the country held its first democratic elections. Joaquim Chissano was elected President with 53% of the vote, and a 250-member National Assembly was voted in with 129 FRELIMO deputies, 112 RENAMO deputies and nine representatives of three smaller parties that formed the Democratic Union (UD). Since its formation in 1994, the National Assembly has made progress in becoming a body increasingly more independent of the executive. By 1999, more than one-half (53%) of the legislation passed originated in the Assembly.

The second general elections were held December 3-5, 1999, with high voter turnout. International and domestic observers agreed that the voting process was well organised and went smoothly. The third Presidential and National Assembly elections took place on December 1-2, 2004, in which FRELIMO candidate Armando Guebuza won with 64% of the popular vote. He was inaugurated as the President of Mozambique on February 2, 2005.