Local elections in Mozambique in 1998
The local elections in Mozambique in 1998 were held on June 30, 1998 in the 23 cities and in 10 places ("vilas") of Mozambique . RENAMO , the largest and at that time the only significant opposition party in the country, as well as 15 smaller parties boycotted the elections because they suspected planned election fraud by the ruling party FRELIMO . The turnout was therefore less than 15 percent and the expected result - all mayors to be elected were members of FRELIMO - had no meaningfulness whatsoever about the actual political preferences of the electorate.
History of the elections before and after the elections
A reform of the local structures had already been initiated in 1994, with the aim of converting all 128 districts of the country into "Municipios", which were to unite the urban areas with their rural surroundings. This reform would have meant a radical break with the highly centralized structure of the country, which until then had been based on an administrative division into rural regions and urban regions.
However, the law in question was declared unconstitutional and replaced by a package of laws passed by Parliament in 1997. One result of these changes was that the local elections were not held in all districts, but only in the 33 cities or towns of Mozambique. After the elections, with their turnout, which was embarrassing for the government, a new discussion began about an electoral law for the local level, in which FRELIMO largely responded to RENAMOS 'demands.
Results
The boycott of the election meant that local lists competing with FRELIMO only ran in six cities. Independent candidates won 40 percent of the vote in Beira and Manica City and 30 percent in Maputo , Inhambane and Nacala . Four groups of citizens gained seats in council meetings.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Archived copy ( memento of the original dated May 31, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b open university.uk: Joseph Hanlon: Mozambique Peace Process Bulletin ( Memento of the original from June 3, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Issue 21 - 21 July 1998, (PDF 1.5MB)
- ↑ mozambique.mz: MOZAMBIQUE PEACE PROCESS BULLETIN ( Memento of the original from December 19, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Issue 21a - October 26, 1998, ELECTION LAW SPECIAL
