Parties recognise importance of local elections

Recent political developments in Mozambique suggest that the upcoming local elections will be far more hotly contested than the first ones five years ago, commentator Joseph Hanlon told IRIN on Tuesday. Mozambique's main opposition party, Renamo, signed an agreement at the weekend with 10 smaller parties to join forces in taking on the ruling Frelimo party in the October municipal elections. News reports said the agreement stipulates that, as with the presidential and parliamentary elections of 1999, Renamo will run at the head of a coalition of parties fielding candidates in all 33 municipalities. Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama was quoted as saying that the reconstituted coalition was a response to pressure from the electorate. But Hanlon, editor of Mozambique Political Process Bulletin (www.mozambique.mz/awepa), believes the main reason Renamo reversed an earlier decision to go it alone was to prevent fragmentation of the opposition vote, as it had become clear that the smaller parties would field candidates in all the municipalities. "I believe not fragmenting the opposition vote was the main reason," he said. There was also the possibility that smaller parties could win in some municipalities. "For example, in the capital, Maputo, there's a serious chance that one of the smaller party candidates could be elected mayor. So what they [Renamo] are doing is recognising the local strength of the small parties, and the fact that they need to be in alliance with them to be a serious opposition." It was also significant because "it means they're taking the local elections seriously ... which in turn reflects a radical change in popular perceptions. People now realise that local government is actually effective and powerful". "Nobody took it [local government] seriously at the time of the first ever local government elections in 1998. [Because local elections] had never happened in colonial times or under the one-party state. Suddenly, they realise that mayors and elected councillors actually have real power, in terms of patronage and spending, but also to make a difference in their environments, their cities," Hanlon commented. Another benefit of fighting the municipal elections as a coalition was that the opposition could field more credible candidates. "Renamo has always been desperately short of competent people ... [while] the smaller parties each have a handful of competent people. What that means is that - if you look at national voting patterns from the last time and apply them locally - Renamo in coalition with the smaller parties could win probably at least 10 of those municipalities. It would be the first time in Mozambique's history [that it would have] an opposition with real political power," Hanlon noted. The smaller parties in turn would benefit from the resources of a larger party during the elections. Meanwhile, the ruling Frelimo party was "already gearing up for a serious campaign for local elections". Frelimo recognised the threat of an opposition coalition, as well as the benefits of local government, both as a base of power and as a training ground. "People who were members of local assemblies and have gained experience would be much more effective at national level, and more credible. So in a few years when the opposition says 'our minister of industry will be a particular mayor of a particular city' that's much more credible," Hanlon explained. The local elections are set for 28 October.