Chissano assures foreign investors

President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique told foreign investors he was confident his governing Frelimo party would improve its strength in parliament in this week's elections and maintain the country's stability. He was speaking on Tuesday at a southern African investment conference in the capital, Maputo, where he was asked what would happen if Frelimo lost ground in the elections on 3 and 4 December. "You shouldn't be worried because that will not happen. But if it were to happen we would find a way to solve the problem and keep stability," Chissano said. "From a sub-continent in turmoil where stability, war and generalised destruction of life and property were a daily occurrence, we have made Southern Africa a region of peace and stability." He was also confident he would hold the presidency against his former civil war rival, Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the Renamo opposition party, which is one of 10 parties and three coalitions contesting the elections. Although analysts expect Chissano to retain the presidency, the battle for parliament remained an open contest. In Mozambique's first post-civil war elections in 1994, Frelimo won 129 seats in the 250-seat parliament while Renamo took 112 and the small Democratic Union nine. "In Africa, a country can spend a decade introducing economic reforms at great social costs and still suffer from 'investor perception disease'. Our request to the investors is to stay around. We need that fraternity,'' Chissano said.