Mozambique's first woman speaker

The first woman speaker in the Mozambique parliament was sworn in at a ceremony in Maputo.

Veronica Macamo, who was previously deputy speaker of parliament, was voted in unopposed after the main opposition Renamo and the Mozambican Democratic Movement (MDM) did not field candidates.

Macamo, who is a lawyer by training, was elected on the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) ticket for the Maputo constituency where she was the leading candidate for her party.

She replaced Eduardo Mulembwe who has held the position of speaker for the past 15 years.

The number of women in parliament had increased from 96 to 106 following the October 28 elections.

The ruling Frelimo won 191 of the 250 seats in parliament, with Renamo taking 51 seats and the MDM eight seats.

Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony was boycotted by most Renamo parliamentarians, with only 16 of 51 of them in attendance.

Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama was quoted in recent media reports as saying his party would boycott the proceedings because the vote was stolen by Frelimo.

However, the Constitutional Council on December 28 validated the election results giving Armando Emilio Guebuza, 66, a second term in office as president and extending Frelimo's 34-year majority rule.