After fifteen years of one‐party rule by FRELIMO, (1975‐1990), which were marked by frequent economic

crises and a destructive civil war (1977‐1992), the Mozambican ruling elite was forced to adopt liberal and
democratic policies in 1990. Throughout the entire period of one‐party rule, FRELIMO always considered itself
a democratic party. During this period, FRELIMO's rule was labeled as "popular democracy"; today, the current
model of governance is said to be a "multiparty democracy".

The civil war was one of the main factors that pressured Frelimo into accepting the process of democratization.
In fact, the democratization process in Mozambique was conducted in the middle of a great crisis, caused
mostly by the civil war. It wasn't an internal process, initiated and interiorized by Frelimo elites as the model
which can lead the country to development and unity.

Mozambique embraced multiparty democracy in 1990, when the ruling and sole legal party, FRELIMO,
unilaterally declared the end of Marxist-Leninist rule. The new constitution, which enshrined multiparty
competition, was at least in part an effort to bring that country’s sixteen-year internal conflict to an end. In
October 1992, FRELIMO signed the General Peace Accord with the rebel group RENAMO. This followed
three years of peace talks hosted by the Italian government and the Roman Catholic Santo Egidio community,
and observed by Mozambique’s major donors, including the USA, Great Britain, Portugal, and Germany. The
agreement consisted of seven protocols that addressed both the formal resolution of the war and the
establishment of a new political system meant to lay the foundation for lasting peace.

The agreement called for the dismantling of RENAMO’s armed forces and the integration of some of its troops
into a new unified national army, the reform or disbandment of various government security forces, the
reintegration of RENAMO-held territory into a unified state administration, and the holding of the country’s
first multiparty elections within a year. Elections were ultimately delayed by another year, and were finally held
in October 1994.