Chissano says no to third term

Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano will not seek a third term in elections in 2004, Mozambican news reports said this week. Chissano made the announcement at closed-door central committee meeting of his FRELIMO party, held in the southern industrial city of Matola. FRELIMO spokesman Bernardo Chirinda was quoted by the ‘Noticias’ newspaper as saying that Chissano had decided not to contest the country’s third multi-party elections in 2004 out of respect for the constitution and “the internal democracy in our party.” Chirinda said the decision was “normal” from the party’s standpoint and stressed that it was still “premature” to speculate on possible successors. Mozambique’s constitution limits the president to serving two consecutive five-year terms. FRELIMO is due to elect a new party leader and presidential candidate at its convention next year.