CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE Article 135 General Principles of the Electoral System 1. The general rule shall be that the appointment of elective sovereign public offices and elective local and provincial offices shall take place through universal, direct, equal and periodic suffrage and by personal and secret ballot. 2. Results of elections shall be calculated according to the system of proportional representation. 3. Voter registration and electoral activity shall be the supervised by an independent and impartial body, the composition, organisation, operation and powers of which shall be established by law. 4. The electoral procedures shall be regulated by law. Article 136 Referenda 1. Citizens who have been registered as voters within the national territory, and those living abroad who have been properly registered as voters, may be called to take part in referenda on major national issues. 2. The decision to call a referendum shall be taken by the President of the Republic upon the recommendation of the Assembly of the Republic, approved by an absolute majority of its members and on the initiative of at least one third of the deputies. 3. The following matters may not be the subject of referenda: a) Amendments to the Constitution, with the exception of those in article 292 (1); b) Matters referred to in article 179 (2). 4. If the matters referred to in article 179 (2) are the subject of an international convention, they may be submitted to a referendum, except where they concern peace and the changing of boundaries. 5. No referendum shall be called or held during the period between the calling and the holding of a general election for sovereign public offices. 6. A referendum shall be considered valid and binding only where at least half of the registered voters have voted in it. Translation by MOZLEGAL – Mozambique's Legal Resource Portal www.mozlegal.com [email protected] Tel: +258 1 496900 – Fax: +258 1 496802 Directors: José Caldeira - [email protected] & Adrian Frey - [email protected] MOZLEGAL is a Project of José Caldeira & Associados - Attorneys & Consultants 41