MOZAMBIQUE-POLITICS: NEW BEGINNINGS

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

JOSEPHINE MASIMBA

MAPUTO, Dec 29 1994 (IPS) - NEW BEGINNINGS ARE BEING CEMENTED IN MOZAMBIQUE, WHERE THE COGS ARE SLOWLY TURNING IN THE PAINFUL PROCESS OF RECOVERY AFTER 17 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR.

UNDENIABLY, THIS YEAR’S MOST NOTEWORTHY EVENT HERE WAS THE UNPRECEDENTED MULTIPARTY GENERAL ELECTIONS, OVERSEEN BY THE UNITED NATIONS BETWEEN OCT. 27 AND 29.

AFTER YEARS OF ONE-PARTY RULE, MORE THAN SIX MILLION OF THE COUNTRY’S 16 MILLION INHABITANTS WELCOMED THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE THEIR LEADERS FROM THE 12 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND 14 POLITICAL PARTIES WHICH RAN.

THE ELECTIONS EXPLODED MANY MYTHS ABOUT MOZAMBICAN POLITICS AND CLARIFIED, FOR ONCE, THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. FOR INSTANCE, THE OPPOSITION MOZAMBICAN NATIONAL RESISTANCE (RENAMO), WIDELY SLAMMED AS A TOOL OF THE COUNTRY’S ENEMIES, WAS FINALLY RECOGNISED AS THE LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF AT LEAST 40 PERCENT OF MOZAMBICANS.

WHILE THE SUPPORT OF MORE THAN HALF THE VOTERS BOOSTED THE STANDING OF PRESIDENT JOAQUIM CHISSANO, THE SEVERE BEATING HIS PARTY TOOK IN ABOUT FIVE OF THE COUNTRY’S 11 PROVINCES, MAINLY IN THE NORTH AND CENTRE, CONFIRMED FRELIMO’S (FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF MOZAMBIQUE) WANING POPULARITY.

MANY MOZAMBICANS AGREE WITH CHISSANO’S REFUSAL TO GRANT RENAMO THE GOVERNORHIP OF THESE PROVINCES ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT WOULD SPLIT THE COUNTRY.

BUT OTHERS FEAR THE TOTAL EXCLUSION OF THE OPPOSITION FROM GOVERNMENT MAY DERAIL CALLS FOR RECONCILIATION AND PLUNGE THE COUNTRY BACK INTO WAR.

RENAMO’S CONTINUED BOYCOTT OF PARLIAMENT IN PROTEST OVER VOTING PROCEDURE, AND THE WARNING BY ITS LEADER, AFONSO DHLAKAMA, THAT THIS WILL DISCOURAGE DONORS FROM SUPPORTING THE COUNTRY ARE JUST CHEAP THREATS, ARGUES A DIPLOMAT FROM A NEIGHBOURING STATE.

“THEY HAVE NO EXPERIENCE OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE AND THE ONLY WAY THEY KNOW TO GET THINGS IS THROUGH FORCE. THEY CAN ONLY USE THREATS SINCE FRELIMO CONTROLS PARLIAMENT,”HE SAID.