is determined by a simple majority, with the proviso that the two candidates with the highest votes have a rerun, should none of the candidates secure the required majority on the first ballot. An independent candidate may contest a presidential election due to its special nature. 290. The Constitution provides for a renewable term limit of five years for members of the General Assembly and other elected bodies. General elections (both presidential and Assembly of the Republic) were held in 1994, 1999 and 2004, while another is due in 2009. Municipal elections were held in 1998, 2003 and 2008. The cycle of elections has been sustained since the first multiparty elections, except for the municipal/district elections due in 2007, which were postponed until 2009. Significantly, the term limit has been maintained through the restraint of former President Joachim Chissano from seeking constitutional changes to extend his stay in office beyond the two terms of five years stipulated by the Constitution, which is the bane of democracy in other countries on the continent. Thus, elections held so far under the existing arrangements have laid the foundation for the consolidation of democracy and multiparty elections as the means of choosing political leaders. 291. Although not specifically required by the Constitution, FRELIMO has a gender quota system that has enabled many women to be elected into the Assembly of the Republic. Currently, women constitute 37.2 per cent of the membership of the Assembly, a figure much higher than in many African countries. 292. Nevertheless, there are challenges for holding periodic elections as a mechanism for choosing political leaders and an opportunity for expressing political choice. A persistent challenge is the rejection of election results by the opposition after each election, save the municipal elections of 2003. During the stakeholder workshops held in all the provinces, widespread misgivings were expressed about way in which elections were held, starting with the registration of voters, the designation of polling stations, balloting, counting the votes and collating the results. 293. These complaints are summarised below: • 7 Freedom of movement, free expression of opinions and the right to unfettered access to all parts of the country to campaign for votes during elections are only guaranteed in a formal sense, as enshrined in the Constitution. The report of the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) on the 2004 elections confirms that Gaza and Tete are areas where RENAMO campaigns were often disrupted and the candidates driven away. 7 Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA). 2005. Regional Election Observation Mission: Mozambique General Assembly and Presidential Elections, 1–2 December 2004. Johannesburg: EISA, page 28–29. 114 A P R M COU N T RY R EV IEW R EP ORT NO. 11