Mozambique

More than half of Mozambique’s population lives below the poverty line, and corruption is a major concern. Tensions between the ruling FELIMO party and the opposition RENAMO, a former rebel group turned party, are also an issue. IRI works with Mozambique’s main political parties to increase intra-party coordination and cooperation, especially in advance of elections.

IRI is promoting free and fair elections in Mozambique using voter education, dispute management, and by training local election monitors. IRI also works to strengthen political parties, developing policies and platforms with the three major political parties in the country, Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (FRELIMO) Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (RENAMO), and Movimento Democrático de Moçambique (MDM).  IRI is encouraging the parties to be more responsive to citizens’ needs.

IRI connects national and provincial party chapters, helps them prepare for upcoming elections, and trains them on how to better engage with citizens, with a focus on a new, grassroots approach to governing. IRI is helping civil society organizations (CSOs) better share information and inform citizens about this effort on decentralization. IRI and its partners are developing programs to raise awareness of the key tenets of the decentralization policy and what it means for people at the provincial level, while also promoting better engagement between citizens and their local representatives.