The business of politics in Mozambique: the 1999 elections and beyond.

The majority of southern African states are, formally speaking, multi-party democracies. However, most have been characterised by protracted periods of rule by a single dominant party and a lack of credible political alternatives. In the 1990s this pattern began to break down with opposition parties mounting serious challenges at the polls in a number of countries. This article provides an overview of Mozambique's 1999 elections, the reasons underlying shifts in support for the contending political parties. It is concluded that whilst the narrow Frelimo victory in the 1999 presidential election invests the 2004 elections with great importance, for a range of reasons Renamo represen ts an unhelpful model for opposition parties challenging formerly dominant parties elsewhere on the sub-continent.