CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE Meeting the age-old desires of our people, the armed struggle for national liberation, whose purpose was to liberate the land and Man, brought together all the patriotic sectors of Mozambican society in the same ideals of freedom, unity, justice and progress. When national independence was won on the 25th of June 1975, the Mozambican people were given back their fundamental rights and freedoms. The Constitution of 1990 introduced the democratic rule of law, based on the separation and interdependence of powers and on pluralism. It laid down the structural parameters for modernisation, making a decisive contribution to the beginning of a democratic climate that led the country to its first multiparty elections. The Constitution reaffirms, develops and deepens the fundamental principles of the Mozambican State, and enshrines the sovereign nature of the democratic rule of law, based on pluralism of expression and partisan organisation and on respect for and the guarantee of fundamental rights and liberties of citizens. The extensive participation of citizens in making this basic law conveys the consensus to strengthen democracy and national unity, which flows from the collective wisdom of the people. Now therefore, the Assembly of the Republic determines: TITLE I BASIC PRINCIPLES CHAPTER I THE REPUBLIC Article 1 Republic of Mozambique The Republic of Mozambique is an independent, sovereign, democratic State of social justice. Translation by MOZLEGAL – Mozambique's Legal Resource Portal www.mozlegal.com info@mozlegal.com Tel: +258 1 496900 – Fax: +258 1 496802 Directors: José Caldeira - jose.caldeira@caldeiraadvogados.com & Adrian Frey - adrian.frey@caldeiraadvogados.com MOZLEGAL is a Project of José Caldeira & Associados - Attorneys & Consultants