Commitment to democracy in Mozambique : performance evaluations and cognition : evidence from round 2 of the Afrobarometer survey data

Word processed copy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103)

Commitment to democracy in Mozambique: performance evaluations and cognition: evidence from round 2 of the Afrobarometer survey data

This study explores the nature of Mozambicans' commitment to democracy by testing and examining cognitive and performance evaluation factors, using Round 2 of the Afrobarometer survey. It finds that Mozambicans are less committed to democracy than many other Africans but their levels of procedural understanding of democracy are higher. My main findings are as follows: First, levels of information are the main source of popular commitment to democracy. Second, both evaluations of economic and political performance matter for Mozambicans' commitment to democracy. Third, the effects of political performance matter more than economics. Fourth, people who have high levels of information (from news media use and formal education), discuss politics with friends or neighbors and obtain their information from relatively more independent sources (such as participation in collective action and contacting religious leaders) are more likely to be committed democrats. Fifth, procedural understandings of democracy are positively relevant for individual commitment to democracy

The Mozambique legislature in comparative perspective : legislative development, performance and legitimacy

Includes bibliographical references.One-party Mozambican assemblies were weak institutions limited to ratifying executive decisions. However their multiparty successors are increasingly becoming institutions that matter in politics assigned with responsibilities of law-making, oversight, representation and constituency service. Nevertheless, theoretical and comparative work on the development of the Mozambican legislature has been limited. This study contributes to comparative legislative studies by assessing and comparing the process of legislative development and performance in Mozambique’s first three multiparty assemblies – Fourth (1995-1999), Fifth (2000-2004) and Sixth (2005-2009). It examines the extent to which the Mozambican legislature developed and performed its main responsibilities using institutional level data from legislative standing orders, legal provisions and archives, and the African Legislatures Project over a 15-year period from 1995 to 2009

Uncritical Citizenship in a Low-Information Society: Mozambicans in Comparative Pespective

Mozambique is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped societies in the world. While poverty and the lack of infrastructure have many social and political consequences, perhaps the most important from the standpoint of the country’s democratic development are the limitations these obstacles place on the ability of its people to act as full citizens. Yet even compared to other poor societies, Mozambicans suffer from extremely low levels of formal education (the adult literacy rate is 46 percent, compared to an average of 61 percent across all low income countries),1 and extremely low levels of access to public information: the country has just three newspapers per 1,000 people (compared to 44 for low income countries), 14 television sets per 1,000 (compared to 84), and 44 radios per 1,000 (compared to 198).2 Extremely low rates of formal education, high levels of illiteracy and limited access to news media strike at the very core of the cognitive skills and political information that enable citizens to assess social, economic and political developments, learn the rules of how societies and governments function, form opinions about political performance, and care about the survival of democracy

Modeling of groundwater extraction from wells to control excessive water levels

The overall purpose of this research was to model flow extraction from several groundwater network wells to control the excessive level of groundwater. The study was conducted in the Nitra Industrial Park, which is located in the northern part of the town of Nitra, where the confined groundwater table is situated very close to the terrain. The area of interest is a plain with a mean elevation of 140.0 m a.s.l. The groundwater can rise up to 140.5 and 143.0 m a.s.l. during the dry season, extreme climate conditions, or a flood wave in the Nitra River, respectively. In order to keep the level of the piezometric head below 140.0 m a.s.l. (as requested by the investor), there are already 38 wells realized around the area of interest with the proposed pumping rates. The numerical groundwater modeling was applied using the TRIWACO simulation package for the given hydrological, geological and hydro-geological conditions. The transient simulation takes into account a Q1000 historical discharge in the Nitra River and its possible impact on the groundwater. The paper will present numerical modeling results on the design of a drawdown system to lower the groundwater level to an acceptable elevation as well as parameters and uncertainties for the design purpose

The dynamics of urban household energy poverty and energy transition in Mozambique

Among developing nations, Mozambique has set an ambitious target to achieve universal energy access by 2030 and thus meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. By the end of 2024 the government expects to double domestic electricity access to 64 per cent of the population. Yet the quantitative evaluation of electricity access rates belies challenges of energy service affordability, household budgeting, and fuel and technology availability and choice. With growing concern over issues of energy poverty and energy justice for vulnerable low-income communities, this study provides an in-depth qualitative evaluation of the lived experience of energy access and energy poverty in urban Mozambique, through household interviews in the four biggest cities in the country. There are three main findings. First, we find qualitative indicators of energy wellbeing in urban households, however this energy wellbeing is divided politically – with energy service benefits felt most strongly in municipalities governed by the dominant party: Frelimo. Second, sustainable energy transitions in urban households are limited by the low uptake of renewable energy sources. Third, despite the majority having grid-connected electricity access, many urban households continue to use non-renewable fuels (gas and charcoal) for cooking and view renewable sources, such as solar panels, as a short-term energy fix. We argue therefore that greater policy emphasis upon small-scale renewable energy investment, uptake and implementation in urban localities is needed to spur action on sustainable energy poverty alleviation

The Effect of Electoral Violence on Electoral Participation in Africa

Systematic African studies have revealed that electoral violence tends to have a negative impact driving Africans away from participating in elections. However, by using a multidimensional approach to electoral violence and electoral participation, combined with a recent dynamic from the 2016 to 2018 Afrobarometer public opinion surveys of 33 African countries, this study finds the opposite. Africans who perceived electoral violence were more likely to attend an election campaign rally and vote. Instead of being used by the incumbent to prevent the opposition supporters from voting, electoral violence appears to motivate those who perceive it to participate. However, whilst election violence may increase electoral participation, this malpractice is not conducive for consolidating democracy or fostering support for, or satisfaction with, democracy.Estudos africanos sistemáticos mostraram que a violência eleitoral tende a ter um impacto negativo, levando os africanos a não participar nas eleições. Através do uso de uma perspetiva multidimensional no estudo da violência eleitoral e participação eleitoral, combinado com a dinâmica recente dos inquéritos de opinião pública do Afrobarómetro de 2016 e 2018 de 33 países africanos, este estudo conclui o oposto. Os africanos que perceberam violência eleitoral tendiam mais a participar nas campanhas eleitorais e a votar. Em vez de ser usada pelo titular do poder para impedir os apoiantes da oposição de votar, a violência eleitoral parece motivar aqueles que a percebem a participar nas eleições. No entanto, embora a violência eleitoral possa aumentar a participação eleitoral, esta má prática não é conducente à consolidação democrática ou promoção da, ou satisfação com, a democracia

Regulating community energy at the national level: comparing Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique

There is a generalised assumption that the development of energy policy and regulation leads to increased access to energy. This paper investigates the empirical evidence to support this assumption in Ethiopia, Malawi and Mozambique, providing a comparative assessment of the regulatory landscape of energy in the three countries and their current status in terms of advancing towards universal energy access for both electricity and fuels. Using comparatively available data, the analysis examined the impact of extensive and dispersed bodies of regulation on energy access, as well as the extent to which pioneering community energy enhances energy access. The results are examined in the light of the current context of energy provision in the three countries. The results suggest that universal access to electricity requires an extensive body of energy policy in general and regulation of community energy in particular. However, while being a pioneer in community energy is correlated with improvements in energy access, the factors that explain such a correlation are not clear. More research needs to advance the current understanding of how regulation interacts with other drivers of infrastructure development and innovation to understand what works in a sustainable transition to provide universal access to clean energy

Numerical modeling of groundwater to assess the impact of proposed railway construction on groundwater regime

The new proposed railway network in the city of Bratislava, which is supposed to be connected to the airport, is an integral part of Trans-European Network for Transport .Certain section of the planned railway should be constructed along Carpathian Mountains through underground tunnels. However, the construction of this underground tunnel will adversely affect the groundwater flow regime. Therefore, it was necessary to establish a 2D finite element numerical model to evaluate the implementation of this railway tunnel on the groundwater regime as well as means of technical measures to reduce the impacts. The paper presents the model result, analyses, prognosis as well as possible methods to control the groundwater level regime in the aquifer that could be affected by the railway tunnel construction