Direct election is a type of system wherein people are given the freedom to decide their own

lieder, voting. It is a system that is based on a direct and unmediated participation of all the
people in pursuing a certain goal of the government. It has its advantages and disadvantages that
people need to be aware in order to make sure that all the consequences that would possibly be
brought by this system would be prevented.

Advantages

Choice of the candidate people are given the opportunity to choose their future leader.
Promotes transparency- people are given the opportunity to acquire necessary
information in order to widely and clearly understand issues of the government and laws

implemented.
Too much TV influence- in a direct elect system, intrusions by the media (TV and
radio) will likely offer little influence over the voters choices.

Disadvantages

Voter fraud - majority fraud would be difficult to detect since the party in power would
be responsible to maintain integrity

Direct Elections in Mozambique

Mozambique is a democratic country, which has been leaded by ex-militaries who fight against
colonialism. Mozambique held its first democratic elections in 1994. To have a brief view about
Mozambican electoral system, main points are mentioned below for more understanding.

Electoral system
Multiparty elections since 1994. Proportional representation for the Assembly of the Republic.
Presidential candidate needs majority of valid votes cast to be elected. If no candidate obtains
more than 50% of vote, a run-off is held between the two strongest candidates and the candidate
who obtains the most votes is elected.

Electoral Institutions and its Functions

CNE: responsible for ensuring voter registration and supervising elections and referenda.
STAE: executive arm of the CNE.
Provincial, city and district commissions: to assist CNE in implementing its mandate.
Constitutional Council: supervises electoral process, verifies presidential candidates,
hears petition appeals, validates and declares final results.

Independence of electoral institutions

National Electoral Commission (CNE) is an independent body subordinate only to the
constitution and other relevant legislation, while the other subordinate organs are answerable to it
alone.
Constitutional Council appointed by president and parliament in a formula that ensures
representation of political parties in Assembly of the Republic.

Demarcation
There are 13 constituencies. The 10 provinces and the city of Maputo return a total of 248 MPs;
the number of seats allocated to each of these is determined afresh for each election based on the
proportion of voters registered in each by the CNE. Expatriates in Europe and Africa return 1
member each.

Voter registration
Registration compulsory, permanent voters roll updated in each election year by STAE under
supervision of CNE. Voters must present acceptable identification document (Valid identification
includes birth certificates, passports, and any legal document with photograph, thumbprint or
signature of previous voter card) or identified by two witness registered as voters in area. A
voter's card is issued.

Voter Education
CNE responsible for promoting civic education through the state mass media.

Nomination of candidates
Presidential: Nominations of parties, party coalitions or citizens are submitted to Constitutional
Council within 60 days before election day, while candidates nominated by citizens must be
endorsed

by

10

000

voters.

Legislature candidates are nominated by parties or coalitions on lists submitted to the CNE. The
CNE ensures the eligibility of candidates.

Funding of political parties

Campaigns funded by state according to the existing representation of parties and the number of
candidates

standing.

Money

allocated

by

CNE.

Funding by foreign governments, national government organizations and institutions or state

owned

corporations

prohibited.

Private donations, foreign or local permitted.

Election campaign
Campaigning starts 45 days before Election Day and ends 48 hours before it. Opinion polls
prohibited from beginning of campaigning until CNE publishes results. The CNE issues a code
of conduct for political parties.

Communication
CNE empowered to allocate time equally on state broadcasting media.

Counting
Counting takes place immediately after close of polls, in polling stations by presiding officer and
polling officers, under the observation of candidate/party agents and observers.

Announcement of results
Results are published immediately, publicly after count, copies given to candidates or agents.
Then are transmitted to city/district electoral commission, through provincial commission to
CNE. Final results must be made public within 15 days after polls close.

Conflict resolution
Petitions are made to the CNE within two days of the results being published and must be
decided on within two days. Appeals against decisions made by the CNE are made to the
Constitutional Council within three days of the decision being published and must be decided on
within 5 days.

The electoral System in Portugal

The constitution states that the people exercise political power through universal, equal, direct,
secret, and periodic elections. All citizens over the age of eighteen have the right to vote, and
those over the age of twenty-one have the right to hold public office, under conditions of equality
and freedom. Portuguese citizens are obliged to register to vote, but voting itself is voluntary.
Freedom of association is guaranteed and is defined to include the right to establish or join
political parties and "through them to work democratically to give form to the will of the people
and to organize political power."

Electoral Constitutions
The country was divided into 51 constituencies for the election. Lisbon elected 20 members from
two 10 member seats using proportional representation and the d'Hondt method, whilst Oporto
had one 10 member constituency using the same system. The remaining seats were elected from
48 constituencies with three or four members

Independence of electoral institution Demarcation

The first phase of demarcation work comprising of determining the sizes of the councils and the
numbers of the electoral areas for each category of representation has been at the Commission.
The actual combination or splitting of basic administrative units for formation of electoral areas
for representation where this is called for is the second phase and shall be done in the field.

Nomination of candidates

Deadline for registration has to be 41 days before the date of the election.

Must be lodged with the Constitutional Court.

Lists must include as many candidates as there are Members to be elected plus a
minimum of three, and a maximum of eight, substitute candidates.

When registering as candidates, the notifications of candidacy deposited by candidates

who are not Portuguese nationals must be accompanied by a formal declaration stating
the candidate's nationality and address in Portugal and certifying that he or she is not
simultaneously standing for election in another Member State (nationality, address,
name).

Candidates must certify that they have not been disqualified from standing for office in
their Member State of origin.

Election Campaign and Funding of electors

Electoral campaigns are funded by the following:

State subsidies;

contributions from the political parties;

These funds are allocated as follows:

20% to parties which stand for election and obtain seats;

The remaining 80% are distributed in proportion to the results obtained.

Official duration of the campaign are 12 days (the campaign must end at 24.00 of the day before
the eve of election).

Communication
The media and pamphlets newspaper is the way that is useful in Portugal to communicate with
citizens in election.

Announcement of result
The announcement of result will be announced by a general verification assembly, which will
commence its work at 9.00 on the 15th day after the Election Day, at the Constitutional Court.
No polls may be published or discussed on the day before the election or on the Election Day
itself.

Conflict of results
The Court consider appropriate to award all applicant sums claimed, the finding of violation in
judgment constituting.

Common Points
Although we are dealing with different countries, there are common points that were observed
such as; 5 years of election duration and elections monitoring by national and foreign observers.

Conclusion
Elections makes way for the people to vote in the ones they presume are trustful. But,
government and the people need to be careful before putting into action their decisions in order
to make sure that everything they are doing would be for the progress of their society and not to
be an additional problem for both by having dishonesty and rebellion.