Chissano successor named

Mozambique's ruling party, FRELIMO, on Monday announced Armando Guebuza as its candidate in the 2004 elections following President Joaquim Chissano's announcement earlier this year that he will not stand for a third term.

Guebuza's nomination is expected to be confirmed at the party's eighth congress on Thursday next week. The 59-years-old seasoned politician heads FRELIMO's parliamentary group and is said to be popular among members in the ruling party's central committee.

Joao Porto, a political analyst at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, told IRIN: "Young democracies benefit tremendously from the alternation of power. Mozambique, despite experiencing significant economic growth, still has many structural issues to deal with. Guebuza, through his experience will hopefully take a new approach to some of these problems."

Guebuza played a significant role in the political settlement in 1992, which was followed by stability and economic growth for one of the world's poorest countries. He has also twice served as Minister of the Interior.

More recently, the Southern African country has been lauded by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank for its commitment to fiscal discipline, so much so that several western creditors have wiped-off most of the country's bilateral debt.

"It is in government's best interest to nurture the privileged relationship it has with donors. Chissano's decision not to stand again is another sign that the country is serious about good governance. Undoubtedly, this is something donors will look at in a favourable light," Porto added.

Chissano took over as president in 1986 and since then has supervised the government's movement away from Marxism, the introduction of a multiparty constitution and the peace agreement with the rebel group Renamo. He was re-elected in 1999.

Mozambique's constitution does make provision for a president to stand for a third term, should he or she wish to do so.