Mozambique: Party funding

Updated July 2009

Private funding

Electoral financing is regulated by electoral law, which permits parties to finance campaigns through contributions from candidates and party or coalition funds, through contributions from national or foreign citizens, monies generated through campaign activities, contributions from friendly foreign or national parties or contributions from NGOs, whether local or foreign (Law 8/2007, 35.1.). Parties and coalitions may not receive funds from foreign governments and institutions or companies owned by foreign governments (Law 8/2007, 35.3.). Electoral participants are further prohibited from using the assets of the state, state structures or state owned companies, excluding public venues, which must be shared equally, and the public broadcasting facilities, where airtime is to be allocated by the CNE (Law 8/2007, 36., 40.).

The law further lays out that within 60 days of the publication of the results of the election concerned all the parties, candidates and coalitions that participated in the election must give account of incomes received and expenses made to the National Electoral Commission (CNE); they must also return to the CNE all state allocations not expended or expended on items not approved of in terms of the law (Law 8/2007, 37). The CNE then has 60 days to review the accounts and then must publish its findings in the most widely read newspapers in the country (Law 8/2007, 39.1). If irregularities are found the CNE must notify the participant concerned and the participant has 15 days to rectify the irregularities (Law 8/2007, 39.2). Failure to supply accounts or rectify deficient accounts must be brought to the attention of the Department of Justice by the CNE for legal steps to be taken (Law 8/2007, 39.3.).

Public funding

The electoral law of Mozambique (Law 8/2007, 35.2.) provides for the funding of political parties by the State. According to the law the criteria for the distribution of public party funding is to be determined by the CNE (Law 8/2007, 36). It supplies broad guidelines for the CNE as far as legislative elections are concerned, requiring that the CNE take into account the representation of parties in parliament and the number of candidates fielded in relation to the seats at stake.

Accordingly, the CNE has established the formula of allocating one third of the funding to presidential candidates, one third to political parties represented in parliament in proportion to the seats held by each party and the final third to parties fielding candidates for parliament based on the proportion of candidates fielded (EISA 2004, 12). Funds are distributed in three batches, a first payment of 50% of the funds and two further payments of 25% each; the intention is that the funds in each subsequent stage provided when the funds for the previous stage have been accounted for (EISA 2004, 12). In reality, however, parties failed to account for funds provided and they were not ultimately held accountable (Nuvunga 2005, 70).

Extracted from: Zefanias Matsimbe 2009 "Chapter 9: Mozambique" IN Denis Kadima and Susan Booysen (eds) Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa 1989-2009: 20 Years of Multiparty Democracy, EISA, Johannesburg, 318-319.

Public support to parties includes regular direct resource allocation and indirect support. Direct annual financial support allows parties to engage in ongoing party-building activities. Although the amount is not defined by law, there are rules concerning the allocation of funds to parties: only parties represented in Parliament are entitled to annual public funding, which is divided amongst them in accordance with their respective proportion of seats. Frelimo and Renamo-União Eleitoral (UE, Electoral Union) each receives funds from the state budget amounting to approximately USD 1.5 million per year (Awepa 1995). These amounts are adapted in line with the number of MPs that the party gets elected.

During an election year, parties receive additional funds. The total amount of public resources for the 2004 elections was USD 2.2 million from a combined source of international donors and the Mozambique government's national budget. As specified by law, the bulk of public funds for campaigns are allocated in equitable terms: one-third of the total amount is reserved for the presidential candidates' parties; one-third goes to parties whose candidates run in legislative elections. Since parties may field candidates in only some of the constituencies, the amount of funds is proportional to the number of candidates fielded. The last third of funds follows the distribution criteria for annual public resources: only parties represented in parliament are entitled to this portion of funds, which is allocated on the basis of their parliamentary representation. Only Frelimo and Renamo-UE qualify for this portion of funds at the moment.

For the 2004 general elections CNE did not distribute public campaign funds to political parties before the campaign period started, in contravention of the provisions of the election law. Funds allocated were released by the CNE only two days after the beginning of the electoral campaign, making it difficult for the political parties to undertake training of their agents in good numbers and in good time before elections.

References

AWEPA 1995 "Report of Awepa's Observation of the Mozambique Electoral Process (1992-1994)".

EISA 2004, EISA Mozambique Election Update 2004 No 1 [PDF document], 4, 5.

LAW 8/2007 of 26 February (governs the National Electoral Commission) replaces Law 20/2002.
For Portuguese see: Lei no 8/2007, [www] http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/MZ/mocambique-lei-n-8-2007-in-portuguese/at_download/file [PDF document, opens new window] (accessed 9 Mar 2010).

NUVUNGA, A (ed), 2005, Multiparty Democracy in Mozambique: Strengths, Weaknesses and Challenges [PDF document], EISA Research Report No 14.