US embassy cable - 05MAPUTO313

C O N F I D E N T I A L MAPUTO 000313 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
FOR AF/S - HTREGER 
MCC FOR GAULL AND HARRINGTON 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2010 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, PINR, MZ, Guebuza, FRELIMO, Chissano 
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: GUEBUZA REPLACES CHISSANO AS FRELIMO 
PARTY PRESIDENT 
 
REF: MAPUTO 00146 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Helen La Lime for reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
1. (U) On March 4, FRELIMO's Central Committee announced that 
former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano had voluntarily 
stepped down from his post as president of the ruling FRELIMO 
party. Shortly thereafter, Mozambique's newly-elected 
President Armando Guebuza was named his successor by the 
177-member FRELIMO Central Committee. The move is in keeping 
with FRELIMO's history of filling the post of party president 
with the current head of state, a practice in place since the 
country's independence in 1975. Though no formal 
announcement has been made, a March 5 press report indicated 
that Guebuza would also retain his post as party secretary 
general, at least for the time being. 
 
2. (C) However, contrary to press reports that Chissano 
offered to resign, a source in the Central Committee told 
post that the Committee meeting was "bitter" and that the 
Guebuza camp ultimately forced Chissano's hand. According to 
the source, Chissano was convinced to step down only after 
several long, heated discussions with FRELIMO heavyweights, 
including party founder Marcelino dos Santos and party 
ideologue Jorge Rebelo. 
 
Comment 
------- 
3. (SBU) As Chissano is Mozambique's first ex-president (his 
predecessor, Samora Machel, died in a plane crash), it was 
not entirely clear before he left office whether he would 
retain the party presidency. Although the president of the 
party does not hold veto power over the 15-member FRELIMO 
Political Commission (the ruling body of the Central 
Committee), this person plays the lead role in its 
deliberations. With President Guebuza now president of 
FRELIMO, he has a much freer hand in governing Mozambique 
than if Chissano had remained FRELIMO president. End Comment. 
LALIME