Government & politics — Mozambique
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Mozambique: Republic of Mozambique
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Republic of Mozambique
- Country Name
Mozambique
- Local - Long
Republica de Mocambique
- Local - Short
Mocambique
- Former Name
Portuguese East Africa, People's Republic of Mozambique
- Etymology- history of name
named for the offshore island of Mozambique; the island was apparently named after Mussa al-BIK, an influential Arab slave trader who set himself up as sultan on the island in the 15th century
- Independence
25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
- National Holiday
Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
Political system
- Government Type
presidential republic
- Constitution
- history: previous 1975, 1990; latest adopted 16 November 2004,
- effective 21 December 2004 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one third of the Assembly of the Republic membership; passage of amendments affecting constitutional provisions, including the independence and sovereignty of the state, the republican form of government, basic rights and freedoms, and universal suffrage, requires at least a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly and approval in a referendum; referenda not required for passage of other amendments; amended 2007, 2018
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of Portuguese civil law and customary law
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: President Dani
- el Francisco CHAPO (since 15 January 2025) head of government: Prime Ministe
- r Maria Benvinda Delfina LEVI (since 17 January 2025) cabinet: Ca
- binet appointed by the president election/appointment process: president elected directly by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for 2 consecutive terms); election last held on 9 October 2024 (next to be held by October 2029); prime
- minister appointed by the president most recent election date: 9
- October 2024 election results: 2024: Daniel CHAPO elected president in first round; percent of vote - Daniel CHAPO (FRELIMO) 65.2%, Venâncio MONDLANE (PODEMOS) 24.2%, Ossufo MOMADE (RENAMO) 6.6%
- Legislative Branch:
Description
unicameral Assembly of the Republic or Assembleia da Republica (250 seats; 248 members elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote and 2 members representing Mozambicans abroad directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections
last held on 15 October 2019 (next to be held on 15 October 2024)
Election Results
- percent of vote by party - FRELIMO 71%, RENAMO 23%, MDM 4%
- seats by party - FRELIMO 184, RENAMO 60, MDM 6
- composition as of July 2022 - men 144, women 106, percent of women 42.4%
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 5 judges); Constitutional Council (consists of 7 judges); note - the Higher Council of the Judiciary Magistracy is responsible for judiciary
- management and discipline judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic; vice president appointed by the president in consultation with the Higher Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ) and ratified by the Assembly of the Republic; other judges elected by the Assembly; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Council judges appointed - 1 by the president, 5 by the Assembly, and 1 by the CSMJ;
- judges serve 5-year nonrenewable terms subordinate courts: Administrative Court (capital city only); provincial courts or Tribunais Judicias de Provincia; District Courts or Tribunais Judicias de Districto; customs courts; maritime courts; courts marshal; labor courts; community courts
- Regions or States:
10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city (cidade)*; Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Cidade de Maputo*, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Democratic Movement of Mozambique (Movimento Democratico de Mocambique) or MDM [vacant]
- Liberation Front of Mozambique (Frente de Liberatacao de Mocambique) or FRELIMO [Filipe NYUSI]
- Mozambican National Resistance (Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana) or RENAMO [Ossufo MOMADE]
- Note: only parties with seats in the legislature listed
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no citizenship by descent only: at least one paren
- no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Maputo
- Capital - geographic coordinate
25 57 S, 32 35 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, CD, CPLP, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF (observer), OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCDF, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNDSS, UNECA, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNODC, UNOPS, UNV, UNWTO, Union Latina, UPU, WCO, WFP, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Peter Hendrick VROOMAN (since 3 March 2022) embassy: Avenida Marginal 5467, Maputo mailing address: 2330 Maputo Place, Washington DC 20521-2330
telephone
[258] (84) 095-8000
Email address and website
- MaputaConsular@state.gov
- https://mz.usembassy.gov/
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Alfredo Fabaio NUVUNGA (since 19 April 2023)
chancery
1525 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone
[1] (202) 293-7147
FAX
[1] (202) 835-0245
Email address and website
- washington.dc@embamoc.gov.mz
- https://usa.embamoc.gov.mz/