Democracy, political participation and violence

A reflection on the impact of post-election demonstrations in Mozambique

Abstract

The study is divided into three parts. The first, based on hermeneutical and epistemological analysis, aims to propose the need to rethink democracy, taking into account the problems we face, which means thinking about a Mozambican democracy that brings together consensus among Mozambicans. The second argues that political participation through voting (every five years), the only time the people have real power to decide, no longer achieves unanimity; that is, apparently, voting is not sufficient to express the popular will, hence the choice of violence that has characterized the country in all post-election periods. The third and final part presents the impacts of the post-election demonstrations, namely: the normalization of violence as a solution to the problem; distrust and a feeling of lack of credibility in the main political parties; and a feeling of absence of State and Government. In this case, the study seeks to outline the democracy that best suits the Mozambican reality, while simultaneously questioning the forms of political participation in Mozambique. The methodology is based on a qualitative approach, using bibliographic review and documentary analysis of technical reports from civil society organizations, as well as news from the national press. It concludes that although violence has been normalized as a way of resolving conflicts, awareness has emerged regarding the need for political participation among groups that feel excluded. At the same time, the current scenario reveals a profound crisis of distrust towards the main political parties and an urgent challenge in the reconstruction of the Mozambican democratic model.