Democratic Movement of Mozambique
Movimento Democrático de Moçambique (MDM ) is a party founded on March 6, 2009 in Mozambique. Its chairman is Daviz Simango, the popular mayor of Beira, which took place in the founding of the party.
The party has arisen in response to authoritarian structures within the RENAMO, the second largest party in the country. At the 2003 local elections Daviz Simango was victorious started as the candidate of RENAMO, another candidate for the next local elections appeared self-evident. Obviously, out of fear of competition from the popular Simango forbade Afonso Dhlakama, the powerful chairman of the RENAMO, the party member Simango however, the candidacy for RENAMO to the mayoral elections.
Simango subsequently received broad support from parts of the RENAMO in Beira, but also from other groups could stand as an independent candidate and was elected with 62 % of the vote against the will of the RENAMO leadership as mayor Beiras.
The party has attracted in its founding phase and dissatisfied RENAMO members. Symbol of the Movimento Democrático de Moçambique is the cock, the battle cry of the trailer, " doodle-doo " is the invitation to the citizens of the country to wake up and stand up for change in Mozambique.
Previous election results
2009 presidential elections
After lengthy discussions in the party Daviz Simango was - although chance - set up as a candidate for the presidential election in Mozambique in 2009. As one of three candidates his candidacy was confirmed by the Constitutional Court of Mozambique and Simango won 8.5 % of votes. Despite the modest sounding percent number e there is a moderate success, as he was still achieved in the history of free elections in Mozambique by any candidate who did not belong to one of the two so far the political landscape dominant parties of Mozambique, FRELIMO and RENAMO.
2009 parliamentary elections
The MDM also came to the same time held parliamentary elections in Mozambique in 2009 and gained 3.8%, which eight seats in parliament. However, the party was permitted only in four of the 10 provinces of Mozambique at all. Extrapolations based on the results of the presidential election assume that also in the other provinces, the number of seats the MDM would have doubled in Parliament Upon approval of the party itself. Their strongholds had the MDM in the province of Sofala and Maputo City. In Sofala, she won a quarter of seats and thus as many as there previously ruling RENAMO.
Provincial elections in 2009
Finally, the MDM also participated in the provincial elections also carried out in 2009. This first-in elections, however, were of little significance, there was due to an opaque and altered shortly before the election registration process FRELIMO in half of all electoral districts unopposed and RENAMO - partly through his own fault - could stand only a few places at all. The MDM struggled with similar problems such as formal and RENAMO won under these conditions, only in three provinces seats. In their stronghold, the province of Sofala, it now ranks with 20 representatives of the largest opposition party in Parliament with 80 seats.
With these results in 2009, the MDM has changed the traditional still coming from the two of the Mozambican civil war parties FRELIMO and RENAMO dominated Mozambican political landscape, the traditional two-party system in the country has been ended by a serious third party.
Elections in several municipalities in 2011
In elections of mayors in three Mozambican cities 7 December 2011 won the candidate of the MDM, Manuel de Araujo, in the city of Quelimane in Zambezia Province - in the MDM 2009 could not win a seat - the most votes and let the second-placed candidate FRELIMO far behind, which the MDM the mayor is here.
Local elections 2013
The - boycotted by Renamo - 2013 local elections MDM won on average in the 53 municipalities involved 30 % of the vote. The mayor seats in Beira and Quelimane were confirmed and a majority together with the Mayor based in Nampula came - after a repeat of the election with low voter turnout - added. The MDM also claimed victory in Gurué was not recognized by the Election Commission, despite credible evidence of vote manipulation by FRELIMO supporters due to a technicality. The obvious violations dgegen the electoral law here meant, however, that the Constitutional Council decided for Gurue elections. In addition, MDM won in the capital Maputo and in the second biggest city in the country Matola each about 40 % of the vote.
March 2009 appointed Daviz Simango Ismael Mussa for the first General Secretary of the MDM. Since its inception, the party had had no General. On 8 April 2010 the parliament, the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique added, its Rules of Procedure, and allowed the 8 members of the MDM recognition as a parliamentary group. The existing Rules of Procedure saw this before until 11 deputies who MDM but prevailed with the argument that this restriction was not constitutional. FRELIMO supported this suggestion.