Mozambican general election, 2009
Encyclopedia
General elections to elect the President, Assembly of the Republic
, and Provincial
Assemblies was held in Mozambique
on 28 October 2009. Incumbent President Armando Guebuza
ran for re-election as the FRELIMO candidate; he was challenged by opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama
, who had stood as the RENAMO candidate in every presidential election since 1994. Also standing were Daviz Simango
, the Mayor of Beira
, who was a RENAMO member before founding his own party, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique
(MDM), earlier in 2009.
Prior to the election, Guebuza was heavily favored to win another term, and RENAMO, mired in a bitter feud with Simango and the MDM, was thought to have been seriously weakened since the previous election, held in 2004. On 14 October 2009, 20 minor parties backed Simango's candidacy. The Independent Party of Mozambique
(PIMO), another minor party, chose to support Guebuza.
On the last day of campaigning, 25 October, each of the three main candidates held major rallies. At FRELIMO's rally in Nampula
, Guebuza stressed a commitment to fighting poverty and working for "national unity, peace and development". Dhlakama concluded his campaign with rallies in Maputo
, and he criticized the predominant role of FRELIMO in society: "Everything is mixed together today in Mozambique. The party, the police, schools, roads, journalists—everything has to be through FRELIMO. This has to stop." Simango, meanwhile, held his last rally in Beira, declaring that it was time to "end the games, end the abuses"; he pointed to the problems of unemployment and lack of medicine in hospitals when urging his supporters to turn out for the vote.
Voting at central Maputo's Polana secondary school on election day, Dklahama said that if he lost the election he would not run for President again. He also called for a high turnout, while stressing the importance of respecting the results and avoiding a post-election dispute.
with multiple votes and were assisted in doing so by the electoral commission, which provided them with additional ballot papers. A FRELIMO spokesperson, Edson Macuacua, dismissed the allegations, asserting that the election was free and fair and characterizing RENAMO as "lost and desperate".
On 11 November, the National Elections Commission officially announced that Guebuza had won the election with 75% of the vote; Dhlakama and Simango trailed with 16.5% and 8.6% respectively. Results for the parliamentary election were also announced, showing that FRELIMO had won 191 seats, followed by RENAMO with 51 seats and eight for the MDM. The Constitutional Council confirmed the results on 28 December. Continuing to allege fraud, Dhlakama said that RENAMO would boycott the opening of parliament.
After the newly-elected deputies were sworn in, they elected Veronica Macamo, a FRELIMO Deputy, as President of the Assembly of the Republic in January 2010. Macamo was the only candidate for the position.
Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique
The unicameral Assembly of the Republic is the legislative body of Mozambique.The first President of the National Assembly of the People's Republic of Mozambique was President Samora Moises Machel...
, and Provincial
Provinces of Mozambique
||Mozambique is divided into 10 provinces and 1 capital city with provincial status:#Cabo Delgado Province#Gaza Province#Inhambane Province#Manica Province#Maputo City#Maputo Province#Nampula Province#Niassa Province...
Assemblies was held in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
on 28 October 2009. Incumbent President Armando Guebuza
Armando Guebuza
Armando Emílio Guebuza is a Mozambican politician and the President of Mozambique since 2005.- Career :Armando Emílio Guebuza was born in 20 January 1943 in Portuguese East Africa...
ran for re-election as the FRELIMO candidate; he was challenged by opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama
Afonso Dhlakama
Afonso Marceta Macacho Dhlakama is a Mozambican politician and the leader of RENAMO, an anti-communist guerrilla organization that fought the FRELIMO government in the Mozambican Civil War before signing a peace agreement and becoming an opposition political party in the early 1990s.Dhlakama was...
, who had stood as the RENAMO candidate in every presidential election since 1994. Also standing were Daviz Simango
Daviz Simango
Daviz Mbepo Simango is a Mozambican politician, the President of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique and the current mayor of Beira. He is son of Uria Simango, the first Vice-President of FRELIMO. He joined the RENAMO in 1997 and became the mayor of Beira in 2003 as its candidate...
, the Mayor of Beira
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
, who was a RENAMO member before founding his own party, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique
Democratic Movement of Mozambique
The Democratic Movement of Mozambique is a political party in Mozambique. Founded on March 6, 2009, it is led by Daviz Simango, who is the mayor of Beira...
(MDM), earlier in 2009.
Campaign
Campaigning for the election began on 13 September 2009. There were 17 parties and two coalitions competing in the parliamentary election. Provincial assemblies were also at stake in the election. Citing problems in the papers submitted by the MDM when it filed to run, the National Elections Commission barred it from contesting the parliamentary election in nine out of 13 regions. Simango, who insisted there were no problems with the papers, was allowed to stand as a presidential candidate.Prior to the election, Guebuza was heavily favored to win another term, and RENAMO, mired in a bitter feud with Simango and the MDM, was thought to have been seriously weakened since the previous election, held in 2004. On 14 October 2009, 20 minor parties backed Simango's candidacy. The Independent Party of Mozambique
Independent Party of Mozambique
The Independent Party of Mozambique is a political party in Mozambique.At the last legislative elections, 1 and 2 December 2004, the party won 0.6% of the popular vote and no seats. Its presidential candidate, Yaqub Sibindy, won 0.9% of the popular vote....
(PIMO), another minor party, chose to support Guebuza.
On the last day of campaigning, 25 October, each of the three main candidates held major rallies. At FRELIMO's rally in Nampula
Nampula
Nampula is the capital city of Nampula Province in Mozambique.It has a population of 471,717 making it the third largest city in Mozambique after Maputo and Beira. It is home to the Mozambique National Ethnographic Museum, several markets, cathedrals and mosques.It is also the center of business...
, Guebuza stressed a commitment to fighting poverty and working for "national unity, peace and development". Dhlakama concluded his campaign with rallies in Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
, and he criticized the predominant role of FRELIMO in society: "Everything is mixed together today in Mozambique. The party, the police, schools, roads, journalists—everything has to be through FRELIMO. This has to stop." Simango, meanwhile, held his last rally in Beira, declaring that it was time to "end the games, end the abuses"; he pointed to the problems of unemployment and lack of medicine in hospitals when urging his supporters to turn out for the vote.
Voting at central Maputo's Polana secondary school on election day, Dklahama said that if he lost the election he would not run for President again. He also called for a high turnout, while stressing the importance of respecting the results and avoiding a post-election dispute.
Results
According to provisional results announced on 2 November, incumbent president Guebuza won a landslide victory with about 75% of the vote. Turnout was estimated at about 42%. SADC observers said the election result was "a true reflection of the will of the people of Mozambique". Opposition party RENAMO was less content with the electoral conduct, demanding that the election be annulled. According to RENAMO spokesperson Ivone Soares, FRELIMO supporters stuffed ballot boxesBallot stuffing
Ballot stuffing is the illegal act of one person submitting multiple ballots during a vote in which only one ballot per person is permitted. The name originates from the earliest days of this practice in which people literally did stuff more than one ballot in a ballot box at the same time...
with multiple votes and were assisted in doing so by the electoral commission, which provided them with additional ballot papers. A FRELIMO spokesperson, Edson Macuacua, dismissed the allegations, asserting that the election was free and fair and characterizing RENAMO as "lost and desperate".
On 11 November, the National Elections Commission officially announced that Guebuza had won the election with 75% of the vote; Dhlakama and Simango trailed with 16.5% and 8.6% respectively. Results for the parliamentary election were also announced, showing that FRELIMO had won 191 seats, followed by RENAMO with 51 seats and eight for the MDM. The Constitutional Council confirmed the results on 28 December. Continuing to allege fraud, Dhlakama said that RENAMO would boycott the opening of parliament.
After the newly-elected deputies were sworn in, they elected Veronica Macamo, a FRELIMO Deputy, as President of the Assembly of the Republic in January 2010. Macamo was the only candidate for the position.
Provincial elections
| Province | FRELIMO | RENAMO | MDM Democratic Movement of Mozambique The Democratic Movement of Mozambique is a political party in Mozambique. Founded on March 6, 2009, it is led by Daviz Simango, who is the mayor of Beira... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabo Delgado Province | 73 | 8 | 0 |
| Gaza Province Gaza Province Gaza is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 75,709 km² and a population of 1,333,106 .Xai-Xai is the capital of the province. Inhambane Province is to the east, Manica Province to the north, Maputo Province to the south, South Africa to the west, and Zimbabwe to the... |
All | 0 | 0 |
| Inhambane Province Inhambane Province Inhambane is a province of Mozambique located on the coast in the southern part of the country. It has an area of 68,615 km² and a population of 1.412.349 . The provincial capital is also called Inhambane.... |
All | 0 | 0 |
| Manica Province Manica Province Manica is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 61,661 km² and a population of 1,359,923 .Chimoio is the capital of the province.-Districts:*Báruè District*Gondola District*Guro District*Machaze District*Macossa District*Manica District... |
61 | 19 | 0 |
| Maputo City | |||
| Maputo Province Maputo Province Maputo is a province of Mozambique; the province excludes the city of Maputo . The province has an area of 26,058 km² and a population of 1,072,086 .Matola is the capital of the province.... |
75 | 5 | 0 |
| Nampula Nampula Province Nampula is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 81,606 km² and a population of 3.985.285 . Nampula is the capital of the province... |
78 | 11 | 2 |
| Niassa Niassa Province Niassa is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 129,056 km² and a population of 1.027.037 . It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. Lichinga is the capital of the province. There are a minimum estimated 450,000 Yao people living in Mozambique... |
66 | 2 | 2 |
| Sofala Sofala Province Sofala is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 68,018 km² and a population of 1.676.131 . Beira is the capital of the province. The province is named for the ruined port of Sofala.- Districts :Districts of Sofala Province include:... |
59 | 1 | 20 |
| Tete Tete Province Tete is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 100,724 km² and a population of approximately 1.551.949 .Tete is the capital of the province... |
75 | 5 | 0 |
| Zambezia Zambezia Province Zambezia is the most-populous province of Mozambique, located in the central coastal region south-west of Nampula Province and north-east of Sofala Province. It has a population of 3,794,509 . The provincial capital is Quelimane on the Bons Sinais River.Zambezia has a total area of... |
57 | 31 | 0 |
| Source allafrica.com | |||