Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

Contact person for this programme is: Anne-Mieke van Breukelen. For more information on the political context and history of Mozambique, see the Mozambique Factsheet.

NIMD Programme

Local elections are planned for 2013 and the presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections will take place in 2014. After the 2009 elections, the political parties embarked on an electoral reform process, which needs to be finalised by the end of 2012. A constitutional reform process was initiated in 2011. Given the political reality in Mozambique, the outcomes of the electoral and constitutional reform process will for a large part depend on the willingness of Frelimo to allow meaningful reforms and the ability of the opposition parties to effectively contribute to the reform debates.

The programme in Mozambique therefore focuses on the facilitation of informal multiparty dialogue sessions between the political parties on issues within the electoral and constitutional reform debate. The dialogue sessions on reform issues help to promote information sharing, transparency and increased levels of trust between the political parties and other stakeholders. In order to enable the political parties in Mozambique to contribute in an effective way to the reform debates, NIMD also invests in direct capacity building support to the parliamentary political parties through a bilateral programme focusing on policy development and improved institutional and organisational capacities.

Furthermore, the NIMD programme focuses on exploring windows of opportunity for informal dialogue. In that regard NIMD supports dialogue initiatives between women MPs and young MPs of all three parties.

Initiative for Leadership and Democracy in Africa (iLEDA)

NIMD's Mozambique programme aims to promote democratic culture, voice and accountability. To develop voice and accountability, there is a need for Mozambique to create participative democracy and increase democratic citizenship. In 2009, in cooperation with IDASA and Africa Forum, NIMD decided to promote active democratic citizenship through civic leadership training by setting up the Initiative for Leadership and Democracy in Africa (iLEDA) Schools.

This programme will contribute to providing a new young generation of community leaders with democratic values and skills. In the coming years, NIMD will continue with the iLEDA Schools programme, making use of the first Mozambican graduate trainers from Manica and Nampula and expanding to other provinces. The training stimulates interaction between civic leaders and local government authorities, and stimulates multi stakeholder policy debates on a local level.

Programme news

Outcomes of the Africa Regional Conference in Maputo, Mozambique

News Article - 21 September 2011

On 19-21 September 2011, NIMD organised a regional conference on Constitutional Reforms and Constitutionalism in Africa in Maputo, Mozambique. At the end of the conference, participants issued a communiqué that outlined key outcomes and conclusions of the deliberations.

Africa Regional Conference held in Maputo on 19-21 September

News Article - 16 September 2011

NIMD, in cooperation with Mozambican political parties, hosts an African Regional Conference on Constitutional Reforms and Constitutionalism in Africa in Maputo from 18 to 21 September 2011. Former President of Mozambique and Chair Person of the Africa Forum of Former Heads of State and Government J

Schools for Democracy in Mozambique

Video - 2011

Empowering citizen leaders (English version)

Mozambican politicians and NIMD visit Ghana and Mali

News Article - 18 April 2011

Six representatives of the 3 parties that are represented in the Mozambican parliament (Frelimo, Renamo and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique) visited Ghana and Mali on 11-15 April.

A "dialogue of the deaf" between electoral bodies and political parties

News Article - 03 August 2010

Communication between electoral bodies and political parties is an essential part of any democracy. Mozambique therefore faces a problem, as dialogue between the CNE and political parties there is virtually non-existent.

Campaign and political party funding in Mozambique

News Article - 05 July 2010

On 15 June 2010 the first of four dialogue meetings was held in Maputo, bringing together political parties, representatives from the CNE and civil society organisations to debate electoral campaign and political party funding.

President Museveni of Uganda endorses interparty dialogue

News Article - 27 May 2010

NIMD’s Africa Regional Programme conference is being hosted by the Ugandan political parties who, on 5 February 2010, launched an interparty dialogue platform known as the Interparty Organisation for Dialogue, (IPOD).

First iLEDA graduates receive their diplomas

News Article - 28 February 2010

On 19 February, a graduation ceremony was held in Chimoio, Mozambique, for the first graduates of the iLEDA School in Mozambique project.

Mozambique: Political parties reaffirm code of conduct

News Article - 26 October 2009

With elections coming up on 28 October, political parties reconfirmed their commitment to the electoral Code of Conduct at a meeting in Maputo last week.

Mozambique: Dialogue between electoral stakeholders continues

News Article - 05 October 2009

On 17 September, two weeks after the launch of the Dialogue Platform, political parties, the electoral commission (CNE) and representatives of several Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) met each other again in Maputo.