- Mozambican presidential election, 2004
Mozambique held a presidential election on 1–2 December 2004 .
PresidentJoaquim Chissano was stepping down after 18 years in power and five candidates were vying to replace him.Voters were also electing a new intake of deputies to the 150-member
National Assembly . The presidential candidates were:*
Armando Guebuza ,Frelimo (Mozambican Liberation Front, ruling party; was favoured to win by a narrow majority)
*Afonso Dhlakama ,Renamo (Mozambican National Resistance, opposition)
*Raul Domingos , PDD
*Yaqub Sibindy , PIMO
*Carlos Reis , FMGBOfficials expected the winner to be formally announced on
December 17 , but in fact results did not come untilDecember 21 . "Voting has started across the country and we have not had any big problems reported," said Interior MinisterAlmerino Manhenje .Results
Guebuza won the presidential elections with 63.7% of the vote and took office in February 2005. Dhlakama came in a distant second with 31.7% of the vote, and announced that he does not recognize the results. The other candidates each received less than 3% of the vote.International observers to the elections criticized the fact that the National Electoral Commission (CNE) did not conduct fair and transparent elections.Fact|date=February 2007 They listed a whole range of shortcomings by the electoral authorities that benefited the ruling party FRELIMO.Fact|date=February 2007
* [http://www.kas.de/proj/home/pub/34/1/year-2004/dokument_id-5302/index.html Is Frelimo abusing its majority in order to win this year’s election in Mozambique?]
* [http://www.cartercenter.org/news/documents/doc1932.html Postelection Statement on Mozambique Elections by the Carter Center]
* [http://www.kas.de/upload/auslandshomepages/election-moza_final-report.pdf Final Report of the European Union Election Observation Mission]
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