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ANC wins South African elections. more...
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Right to amend constitution key Mozambique election issue
by Hugh McCullum
MAPUTO, 28 November 1999
With 10 political parties and three coalitions
registered with the National Elections Commission (CNE) for Mozambique's
second multi-party parliamentary and presidential elections next Friday and
Saturday (3-4 December), the key issue emerging is whether the ruling party
Frelimo party cann gain a two-thirds majority in the Assembly of the
Republic in order to push through constitutional amendments denied it by the
opposition Renamo in the last sitting of the 250-member parliament.
President Joaquim Chissano is widely excepted to score an easy victory over
his only rival, former rebel leader, Afonso Dhlakama who heads Renamo and
its coalition of 10 smaller parties which united a few months ago to try and
defeat Chissano under the name of the Renamo Electoral Union. The other
parties and coalitions will only stand in he parliamentary elections.
There is some concern that, with Chissano more popular than the party he
leads, Parliament could again frustrate his plans for development and for an
amended constitution. In order to the amend the 1990 constitution, two-thirds
of the Assembly of the Republic must approve. In late September, after four
years of work by an ad hoc commission drawing up detailed amendments, Renamo
killed the draft by simply refusing to vote. In order to achieve two-thirds,
Frelimo required 167 votes, however with its ally, the
Democratic Union (UD) it could only muster 138.
The series of amendments dealt with matters such as changing from a powerful
executive presidency to a semi-presidential system, curtailing the powers of
the presidency and increasing those of the prime minister and the Assembly
itself. Both Frelimo and Renamo had agreed to this amendment when Renamo
suddenly changed its mind on the constitutional package, claiming it wanted
an even more powerful presidency and that it was upset over the discussions
for a new flag and national anthem.
Frelimo charged that Dhlakama changed his mind on the consensus because he
feels Renamo will win the elections and he wants wide-ranging presidential
powers for his own party. "The amendments which were before Parliament
were non-partisan," says Armando Guebuza, head of Frelimo's
parliamentary group, "and were the qualitative development of the 1990
constitution and would have allowed more permanent participation by citizens
and civil society in governance."
The amendments have effectively died and with them, the consensus which had
been reached. Depending on the outcome of the election, the draft amendments
could be reintroduced in the next National Assembly but until then, at least,
the 1990 constitution remains in effect.
It was drawn up after a prolonged and vicious civil war between Renamo and
the government which ended finally in 1992, providing for a permanent
ceasefire and elections in 1994. Chissano won the presidency in 1994 and
Frelimo took 129 seats to Renamo's 112 in parliament, the remainder divided
among smaller parties. Renamo's strength is still in the Northern part of the
country while Frelimo's strongholds are mainly in the south The electoral
commission has announced that some 7.4 million voters, about 85
percent of those eligible, have registered to cast ballots, a higher number
and percentage than in 1994. The population of Mozambique is about 15.3
million. Counting could take up to two weeks in the far-flung rural areas
where infrastructure is weak and communications poor.
International observers have given high praise to the CNE for its
registration work which involved compiling a completely new electoral
register. Campaigning for this election ends on Wednesday, 48 hours before
polls open. A number of national, regional and international observer
missions are arriving including the SADC Electoral and Parliamentary Forums,
the Organisation of African Unity, the Commonwealth and the European
Union. (SARDC)
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