The United Nations Security Council, which had a peacekeeping operation based there due to the civil war, endorsed the results as free and fair in Resolution 960.
The elections have been criticized for not having been conducted in a fair and transparent manner by the National Electoral Commission.
This has been criticized among others by the European Union Election Observation Mission to Mozambique and the Carter Center.
On 2 February 2005 Guebuza was sworn in as president of the republic, but without Dhlakama and RENAMO's recognition and presence at the inauguration.
The Presidential and Parliamentary elections were held on 28 October 2009 for the fourth time since the introduction of the multiparty system.