«Antes o ‘diabo’ conhecido do que um ‘anjo’ desconhecido»: as limitações do voto económico na reeleição do partido FRELIMO

Abstract

The literature on economic voting shows that voters hold governments responsible for the state of the economy and punish ruling parties who fail on the economy and do not live up to their electoral promises. These studies do not, however, provide a convincing explanation for the recurring election of FRELIMO in Mozambique, which won three successive elections despite high levels of poverty, unemployment and economic discontent. In this article I argue we should explain the re-election of FRELIMO in the light of additional factors: the type of political transition, the local context, the lack of a clear understanding of the difference between personal and economic assessments; control over resources, strategies for policy implementation and types of political party.