Paliamentary deputies of Mozambique's main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, boycotted the country's parliament, rather than listen to a report from the ad-hoc-committee set up to consider amendments to the constitution. The commission was set up last year, but Renamo refused to appoint the three members to which it is entitled. Currently, the commission consists of 16 deputies from the majority Frelimo Party, and one from the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).
Renamo protested enough that Frelimo has not indicated which parts of the constitution it wishes to amend. It also complained at the budget for the commission of 2 million meicais, saying it could be better spent on other tasks. Thus when the commission chairperson, Eduardo Mulembue, began delivering his report Renamo deputies present walked out of the chamber, thus ensuring that onlyu Frelimo and the MDM would take part in the brief debate.
Last year fears were expressed that Frelimo wanted to amend the current constitutional restriction on presidential terms of office. The constitution states that no citizen may hold more than two consecutive terms as President of the Republic. Frelimo has insisted that it is not attempting to secure a third term for the current President, Armando Guebuza, and Guebuza himself has repeatedly stated that he is not interested in a third term. Frelimo has also said that it merely wishes to improve the constitution along its current lines, and does not intend to make radical changes.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201105170906.html
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