Mozambicans cast their vote in municipal elections on Wednesday ahead of what is expected to be a tight presidential race next year, but opposition parties say their voters are under-represented since polling will take place mainly in cities.
It is the first time the Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo) party will participate in local elections since the end of a devastating 16-year civil war in 1992 which pitted Renamo — then a rebel movement –against the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo).
Renamo boycotted the first municipal elections in 1998, saying the government was bent on fraud, and Frelimo consequently received local seats on a silver platter.
Those results were a far cry from reflecting the popular will since a mere 14% of the 17-million inhabitants of the former Portuguese colony showed up to cast their ballot.
This year the local elections will take place mainly in urban areas, effectively barring three-quarters of the 8,4-million voters registered for the general elections next year from casting their ballot at local level.
”Frelimo put those areas out of the municipal areas because they know the opposition have more people there voting for them,” said Renamo spokesperson Jose Samo Judo.
”It is a big problem for us but we will try to make the best of
the situation. Next year will be much better.”
Frelimo’s parliamentary majority — now 133 of the National Assembly seats to Renamo’s 117 — allowed it in 1997 to repeal a bill intended to establish district municipalities linking urban and rural areas.
A new law was eventually promulgated, but it is being phased in gradually, starting with existing urban municipalities, and adding only 10 rural centres. This means the majority of rural areas are still excluded, and remain subject to rule by officials appointed by Maputo.
But this year both the main contenders, Frelimo and Renamo, and no less than 15 smaller opposition parties, will participate in the power struggle for 33 municipalities.
”I am sure we will win,” said Frelimo spokesperson Edson Macuacua.
”The people know we are the best, we have the best programme and the best organisation. We are very, very strong.”
Frelimo enjoys substantial support in urban areas, especially in the capital Maputo in the more developed south. Renamo is popular among residents in the impoverished and more populated northern provinces, including Mozambique’s second city, Beira.
In Maputo, Frelimo is facing competition from a strong third party, the Juntos Pela Cidade (JPC), Portuguese for ”Together for the city”, under the leadership of Swiss-turned-Mozambican Philippe Gagnaux.
A former rebel peace negotiator and top lawmaker, Raul Domingos, is the brain behind the Institute for Peace and Development, which is running in at least 11 of the 33 municipalities, including Maputo and Beira.
Domingos led the Renamo delegations during two years of peace negotiations in Rome that culminated in the 1992 peace deal, but was expelled from the party in 1999 for allegedly holding secret talks with Frelimo.
He is planning to run in presidential elections next year, facing his former Renamo boss, Afonso Dhlakama, and Armando Guebuza, a former independence war veteran representing Frelimo.
President Joachim Chissano, in power since 1986, steps down under the conditions of the constitution at the end of his term in 2004.
Political analyst Eduardo Serpa believes the local elections will provide a clue to the outcome of the general elections next year.
”The results will fail to express, regrettably, the political feelings of voting preferences of the rural population…
Nevertheless, the upcoming local elections will provide preliminary clues in terms of which regions will be dominated by Frelimo and Renamo respectively.” – Sapa-AFP