Frelimo back in the driving seat after election
It was always a slam-dunk, but Mozambican President Armando Guebuza has won a resounding general election victory, with the ruling Frelimo party getting enough parliamentary seats to change the constitution at will. This usually spells trouble in Africa, where “Big Men” go on to rule for far too many years, often giving themselves titles that sound much like “Here for Life”. Frelimo has been in power since independence from Portugal in 1975. The formerly Marxist-style party now has 191 parliamentary seats out of 250, which in any language is an overwhelming majority. Let’s hope the Mozambique electorate will kick them out if they don’t behave, although Guebuza, who has welcomed market liberalisation, beat his rivals with nearly 76% of the presidential vote. Read more: Reuters
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