Editing Politics of Mozambique (section)

==Political parties and elections==
{{Elect|List of political parties in Mozambique|Elections in Mozambique}}

In 1994 the country held its first [[Elections in Mozambique|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 9 representatives of three smaller parties that formed the [[Democratic Union (Mozambique)|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.

After some delays, in 1998 the country held its first local elections to provide for local representation and some budgetary authority at the municipal level. The principal opposition party, RENAMO, boycotted the local elections, citing flaws in the registration process. Independent slates contested the elections and won seats in municipal assemblies. Turnout was very low.

In the aftermath of the 1998 local elections, the government resolved to make more accommodations to the opposition's procedural concerns for the second round of multiparty national elections in 1999. Working through the National Assembly, the electoral law was rewritten and passed by consensus in December 1998. Financed largely by international donors, a very successful voter registration was conducted from July to September 1999, providing voter registration cards to 85% of the potential electorate (more than 7 million voters).

The second general elections were held 3–5 December 1999, with high [[voter turnout]]. International and domestic observers agreed that the voting process was well organised and went smoothly. Both the opposition and observers subsequently cited flaws in the tabulation process that, had they not occurred, might have changed the outcome. In the end, however, international and domestic observers concluded that the close result of the vote reflected the will of the people.

President Chissano won the presidency with a margin of 4% points over the RENAMO-Electoral Union coalition candidate, Afonso Dhlakama, and began his 5-year term in January 2000. FRELIMO increased its majority in the National Assembly with 133 out of 250 seats. RENAMO-UE coalition won 116 seats, one went independent, and no third parties are represented.

The opposition coalition did not accept the National Election Commission's results of the presidential vote and filed a formal complaint to the Supreme Court. One month after the voting, the court dismissed the opposition's challenge and validated the election results. The opposition did not file a complaint about the results of the legislative vote.

The second local elections, involving 33 municipalities with some 2.4 million registered voters, took place in November 2003. This was the first time that FRELIMO, RENAMO-UE, and independent parties competed without significant boycotts. The 24% turnout was well above the 15% turnout in the first municipal elections. FRELIMO won 28 mayoral positions and the majority in 29 municipal assemblies, while RENAMO won 5 mayoral positions and the majority in 4 municipal assemblies. The voting was conducted in an orderly fashion without violent incidents. However, the period immediately after the elections was marked by objections about voter and candidate registration and vote tabulation, as well as calls for greater transparency.

[[Image:Armando Guebuza 2005.jpg|thumb|left|Former Mozambique's president, Armando Guebuza]]
In May 2004, the government approved a new general elections law that contained innovations based on the experience of the 2003 municipal elections.

Presidential and National Assembly elections took place on 1–2 December 2004. FRELIMO candidate Armando Guebuza won with 64% of the popular vote. His opponent, Afonso Dhlakama of RENAMO, received 32% of the popular vote. FRELIMO won 160 seats in Parliament. A coalition of RENAMO and several small parties won the 90 remaining seats. Armando Guebuza was inaugurated as the President of Mozambique on 2 February 2005.

The candidate of the ruling Mozambican Liberation Front's (Frelimo) [[Filipe Nyusi]] has been the President of Mozambique since January 2015 after winning the [[2014 Mozambican general election|election]] in October 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13890418|title = Mozambique profile - Leaders|work = BBC News|date = 15 January 2015}}</ref> In October 2019, President Filipe Nyusi was re-elected after a landslide victory in general [[2019 Mozambican general election|election]]. Frelimo won 184 seats, Renamo got 60 seats and the MDM party received the remaining six in the National Assembly. Opposition did not accept the results because of allegations of fraud and irregularities. Frelimo secured two-thirds majority in parliament which allowed Frelimo to re-adjust the constitution without needing the agreement of the opposition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/mozambique-president-filipe-nyusi-re-elected-in-landslide-victory/a-51009484|title = Mozambique: President Filipe Nyusi re-elected in landslide victory &#124; DW &#124; 27.10.2019| website=[[Deutsche Welle]] }}</ref>