Official name
República de Moçambique
Form of state
Unitary republic
Legal system
Based on Portuguese-Roman law and the 1990 constitution, updated in 2004
National legislature
250-member Assembleia da República (parliament) elected by direct, universal suffrage every five years
National elections
October 28th 2009 (legislative and presidential); next national, provincial and presidential elections are due in late 2014
Head of state
President, chosen by direct universal suffrage
National government
The president and his appointed prime minister and Council of Ministers; new cabinet appointed in January 2005; last reshuffle in October 2010
Main political parties
Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Frelimo) is the ruling party and holds 191 parliamentary seats; the main opposition party is Resistência Nacional de Moçambique (Renamo; 51 seats); the Movimento Democrático de Moçambique (MDM; 8 seats) was formed in March 2009 with the mayor of Beira, Daviz Simango, as its leader; it is drawing strong support from disaffected Renamo members and is bidding to replace Renamo as the main opposition party; another opposition party, Partido Humanitário de Moçambique (Pahumo), was launched by former Renamo members in April 2010
President: Armando Guebuza
Prime minister: Aires Bonifácio Ali
Ministers in the presidency
Parliamentary affairs: Adeleaide Amurane
Social affairs: Feliciano Gundana
Key ministers
Agriculture: José Pacheco
Defence: Filipe Nhussi
Education: Zeferino Martins
Energy: Salvador Namburete
Environmental co-ordination: Alcinda Abreu
Finance: Manuel Chang
Fisheries: Victor Manuel Borges
Foreign affairs & co-operation: Oldemiro Baloi
Health: Alexandre Manguele
Industry & trade: Armando Inroga
Interior: Alberto Mondlane
Justice: Maria Benvinda Levi
Labour: Helena Taipo
Mineral resources: Esperança Bias
Planning & development: Aiuba Cuereneia
Public works & housing: Cadmiel Muthemba
Science & technology: Venâncio Massingue
State administration: Lucas Chomera
Tourism: Fernando Sumbana
Transport & communications: Paulo Zucula
Women's affairs & social welfare: Iolanda Cintura
Central bank governor
Ernesto Gouveia Gove