Maputo, 19 Jun (AIM) – The prominent Mozambican anti-corruption NGO, the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), believes that the country is governed by neo-patrimonial mechanisms, despite having a democratic legal framework.
According to CIP study on the National Integrity System (SNI), which was published on Wednesday, the neo-patrimonial regime is marked by the interconnection between the governing and dominant party Frelimo, the State and economic elites.
The study – which was focused on the country’s political system; administrative and regulatory system; judicial system and law enforcement; financial and economic system; and media system and social control – over the last three decades, a significant set of laws, institutions and strategies aimed at preventing corruption have been approved, but their implementation has been fragmented, resulting in a system that presents significant weaknesses.
The study resorted to the “literature review on Mozambique’s trajectory and on the National Integrity System”, interviews with various social actors, especially politicians, academics, jurists, journalists, and social activists.
According to the document, the country presents significant limitations in political pluralism, transparency and accountability.
“Institutional consolidation remains incomplete. The political system is characterized by a strong concentration of power in the government, a dominant party, and persistent limitations in the effective separation of powers”, reads the document.
The study explains that the country registered formal advances in the democratic sphere since the introduction of multiparty politics in 1994, “however, political parties face significant challenges in terms of financial transparency and internal democracy.”
“In the administrative and regulatory system, public administration is one of the main areas of vulnerability, presenting a robust regulatory framework but facing significant challenges related to professionalization, politicization, and limited resources”, reads the document.
The organization points out that the large size of the state apparatus, combined with low levels of technical qualification, reduces administrative efficiency and increases the risks of corruption.
“The country continues to face challenges in terms of independence, technical capacity, and procedural efficiency. Law enforcement is often perceived as selective, which undermines public trust”, says the study.
In economic and financial terms, reads the document, the country presents “moderate growth,” but “with high levels of poverty and inequality, and that the economy remains vulnerable to external shocks and heavily dependent on natural resources and international aid.”
The study also points to “hidden debts” as “serious flaws in financial control mechanisms and have had profound impacts on institutional trust and fiscal sustainability.”
“The armed conflict in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, the demographic pressures, and limitations in the provision of public services exacerbate governance challenges and increase the risks of corruption, particularly in the management of public resources and humanitarian aid”, the study says.
According to CIP, the media and civil society organization face challenges related to financial sustainability, access to information, as well as political pressures.
“These situations limit civic and media space, reducing the capacity for public scrutiny, and weaken vertical accountability, essential for the effective functioning of the National Integrity System.”
In order to reverse the situation, the organization calls for coordination of existing structures because “the country does not primarily need new laws or institutions, but rather to strengthen the operational capacity and effective independence.”
Am/
