Politics of Mozambique

The political system of Mozambique is democratized since the end of the Mozambican civil war, but shaped by the experiences in the Portuguese colonial rule and the connection to the Eastern Bloc at the time of the People's Republic of Mozambique. The regular elections since the 90s are classified by independent observers as largely free. However, the ruling party since independence FRELIMO dominated the political landscape virtually unchallenged and utilizes its possibilities as a permanent ruling party also in elections to their advantage.

Mozambique is a presidential representative and democratic republic. The President of Mozambique is head of state and head of government within a multi- party system.

Executive

The President of the Republic acts as head of state, head of government, commander in chief of the armed forces, and as a symbol of national unity. He is directly elected for a term of five years on the so-called run-off voting, if no candidate has more than half of the votes cast in the vote of the first round receives, and is therefore held a second round of voting, in which only the two candidates will participate with the highest number of votes in the first round; and depending on which of the candidates receives an absolute majority of votes in the second round, thus elected president. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. Its functions include the convening and chairing the Council of Ministers (cabinet), he shall advise the President, and with him is the support of the President in governing the country as well as the coordination of the tasks of the other ministers.

Legislature

The Assembly of the Republic (Portuguese Assembleia da República ) has 250 members, elected by a term of five years and with the proportional representation.

Judicial branch

The judiciary and the judicial system overall is roughly of a Supreme Court and from the provincial, county and district courts. The independence of the judicial system is, however, disputed by the human rights organization Amnesty International.

There is also the Tribunal Administrativo, which exerts a mixture of Auditors and Administrative Court. His duties are to review the finances of the state, but may also make buses.

Administrative divisions

Mozambique is in a total of 10 provinces ( provincias Portuguese, singular - provincia) shared: