This Thursday December 14, the Mozambican Parliament gave final approval to the proposal to revise the law by increasing the minimum period of compulsory military service from two to five years, but only with the favorable votes of the Frelimo majority.
The proposal to revise the Military Service Law was brought to the National Assembly by the Government, which claims the need to retain military personnel in the Armed Forces, and received 160 votes in favor during the plenary session from the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power) and 43 votes against from the opposition, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).
In the statement after the special and final vote, the Frelimo bench defended its position in favour of this amendment, claiming that “it will create conditions to make the military institution more robust” and “guarantee the retention and professionalization of the military,” as well as “giving greater dynamism to the Armed Forces,”.