University of Cape Town Department of Political Studies ELECTED LEGISLATURES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: ATTITUDES OF CITIZENS FROM 18 COUNTRIES TOWARDS LEGISLATURES, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON MOZAMBIQUE, ITS ASSEMBLY AND PARLIAMENTARIANS A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of PhD in Political Studies By Elisabete Azevedo AZVEIS001 Supervisor: John Akokpari April 2009 PLAGIARISM DECLARATION 1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and pretend that it is one’s own. 2. I have used the APA convention for citation and referencing. Each contribution to, and quotation in, this thesis from the work(s) of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced. 3. This thesis is my own work. 4. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her own work. Signature removed Elisabete Azevedo April 2009 i DEDICATION To my countrywomen and -men who bequeathed democracy to my generation. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To begin, I need to give credit to my two brothers, Rui and Fernando. They have been the best parents to me that I could have wished for. They did well in raising this difficult teenager with all her independent thoughts and lofty ambitions. They not only always encouraged me to pursue what I wanted in life, but they also made it possible by granting the necessary support. My brothers, nephews, nieces and sisters-in-law (and two grandnieces) – João, Didi, Bruno, Cláudia, Inês, Mariana, Beatriz, Cristina and Lena – have always been an anchor in my life. Thank you for keeping my place at the table even though I have been absent more often than present, missing many birthdays and holidays. I owe gratitude to my late mother for instilling in me the belief that education is a woman’s priority. I am also grateful to consider as my family Jota Caramelo and Fernanda Santos – I am fortunate to have them as friends and mentors. I am deeply thankful to my supervisor, Dr. John Akokpari, for his constant availability, advice and care. My thanks also go to my co-supervisor, Prof. Leonard Watcheckon. Both are scholars that I deeply admire and respect. Prof. June Juritz, from the Statistics Department, has helped me as though she too were my supervisor. Now that there are no more tables, regressions and indices, I will continue to look for her to have our tea and talk. In the Political Studies Department, I am especially thankful to Prof. Robert Schrire and Prof. Annette Seegers for their unwavering support. The writing of a thesis is only possible with the appropriate resources to enable it: computers, printers, materials, data, specialised software, and on goes the list. My task would have been complicated beyond recourse were it not for the support of the DataFirst Unit at UCT. More than just making use of this facility, I was spoiled by the support of its staff: Matthew Welch, Alison Siljeur and Lynn Woolfrey. I am indebted to my friend, Lynn, for her support, especially for always during my writing process having a teacup ready for me, and most importantly for being my sponsor to the Mermaid club. To the Mermaid club members I offer my sincere gratitude. Even though the writing of a PhD thesis is a solitary venture, there were from time to time interactions with other lost souls around the university campus: helping and been helped, iii talking, chatting, debating, and equally important, laughing. Learning alongside these souls alleviated the solitude of the process. My thanks to the souls: Danga Mughogho, Glen Mpani, Mohamed Mraja, Collette Herzenberg, Thierry Luescher, Grace Kumchulesi, Carlos Shenga, Joao Pereira, Aurélio Simango, Sean Woolfrey, Dr Thiven Reddy, Prof. Jacques de Wet, Prof. Owen Crankshaw, Prof. Harry Garuba, and to Prof Lungisile Ntsebesa for attempting to combat my scepticism in a utopia. In Mozambique, my friends Antonio Teixeira, Maria Overeem, José Carlos Colaço, Daviz Simango, Joao Pereira, Miguel Brito, Jose Jaime Macuane, Pedro Figueiredo, and Luis Sá all ensured that, when the time came to leave, my long stays seemed too short. To my long- standing friend, Gonçalves Sengo for his support and concern, I owe deep gratitude. In the Mozambican parliament, the input of several MPs was fundamental to the materialisation of this work. Among RENAMO members, I am deeply thankful to Maria Moreno. I am equally thankful to the FRELIMO leadership in the Assembly, Manuel Tomé, Feliciano Mata and Ângela Manjate. In the preparation of my work on the Assembly, a special thanks to Alfredo Gamito and to the ex-MP Xico Francisco. The staff of the Assembly helped me on a daily basis and were also pleasant to work with. The General Secretary, Baptista Ismael Machaieie provided assistance, with patience and knowledge. To the staff of both political parties, a very special thanks. Among the parties’ staff, FRELIMO’s Alfredo and RENAMO’s Noémia were indispensable and offered the best assistance I could have asked for in accessing the MPs. Also during my fieldwork in Mozambique, I had the opportunity of interacting with Bealne Francois, who is responsible for the UNDP project in the Assembly. Bealne is a devotee of the role of parliaments in democratisation, and I always found our discussions enlightening. The UCT librarians are the epitome of professionalism, humanism and dedication. Among them, my special thanks to Dianne Steele, Nuroo Ismail, Celia Walter, and Colin Darch. I am deeply grateful for the ceaseless support and motivation I received from Prof. João Carlos Espada, director of the Political Studies Institute of the Portuguese Catholic University, my home university. Also in Lisbon Prof Marina Costa Lobo and Prof Gerhard Seibert provided me friendly support. iv Through my interactions with the Afrobarometer network, I had the privilege of working with Prof. Mike Bratton, who has been an inspiration to me. Also within the Afrobarometer network, I appreciate the collaboration I had with Prof. Mattes of the CSSR (Centre for Social Science Research) and the African Legislatures Project (ALP). Through my Afrobarometer journeys, I met Prof. Annie Chikwane who became a good friend, and who constantly reminded me that finishing my thesis was a priority. Early on in my doctoral studies, I had the benefit of visiting and working with Prof. Gyimah- Boadi at the CDD (Centre for Democracy and Development) in Ghana. Prof. Gyimah-Boadi is an archetypal intellectual but is also able to make all around him smile. Shortly after my arrival at UCT, I was privileged to work with Lia Nijzink, who mentored me in the study of parliaments. Lia subsequently became a good friend, as did her wonderful family, husband Chris and daughter Zara. Prior to undertaking this PhD, I was elected a member of the Assembly of the city of Faro in Portugal. There, during the long sittings, I had the opportunity of experiencing for a time the other side of the divide. Being a parliamentarian provided me with insights that were truly useful in this research study. Regarding the necessary financial support, I was fortunate to be awarded a doctoral grant by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). I am also thankful for the previous support of the Foundation Calouste Gulbenkian and the Foundation Luso Americana. Homesickness was alleviated with the help of my friends, Cláudia Correia, Josíane Martins, Ana Santos, Rui Carreteiro, Susana Castelão, Vicente Paiva Brandão, Clementina Reis and Rui Mão de Ferro. To my partner, Shai, my thesis and I (in the end it had its own life and controlled mine) need to express enormous thanks for his patience and confidence in us. v ABSTRACT Elected multiparty assemblies have existed in Africa on average for no more than two decades. Consolidating democracy and improving the lives of ordinary citizens demands guardian parliaments. Parliaments are comprised predominantly of politicians and, interconnected with citizens and executives, are perceived as core institutions of representative democracies. This dissertation seeks to contribute to a better understanding of African multiparty parliaments and their role in consolidating democracy. The study seeks to comprehend the links between citizens and their elected parliaments in 18 African countries, in the process attempting to predict the prospects of these new democracies. It also focuses on the Assembly of Mozambique to attempt an understanding of the evolution, capacity and functioning of an emerging parliament. The study investigates the perceptions of Mozambican civil leaders toward their parliament, and it looks at the perceptions of Mozambican parliamentarians concerning their roles and their relations with the electorate, and concerning the Assembly’s capacity and powers. This is critical to understanding how democracy has been and will be exercised, since parliamentarians are at the forefront of the process. Each parliament has distinctive characteristics. However, there are common features based on their age and origin. The development of the Mozambican Assembly since the monoparty regime illustrates the challenges and achievements that African parliaments have undergone in the transition to democracy. The findings reveal that African citizens distinguish between presidents and parliaments, which is important given the legacy in Africa of strong executives led by dominant presidents. They also reveal that citizens value the gains made by the multiparty regimes and that parliaments as lawmakers are preferred to presidents. In most countries surveyed, citizens, on average, gave positive evaluations of their parliaments, especially concerning their trustworthiness. Political characteristics outweigh socioeconomic status in influencing how citizens perceived parliaments. Party allegiance and perception of electoral fairness are the factors that most influenced how citizens perceived their parliaments. Interviews with Mozambican MPs revealed their frustration over the influence of the Assembly over the national budget.