The Sudanese cell-phone millionaire Mo Ibrahim established the prize in order, according to the Foundation's website, "to encourage leaders who fully dedicate their tenure of office to surmounting the development challenges of their countries, improving the livelihoods and welfare of their people , and consolidating the foundation for sustainable development".
Guebuza told Chissano "there are no words to describe this historic and euphoric moment we are sharing with you".
"We feel proud of this achievement", he added, "because this personal success also brings prestige to Mozambique and the Mozambican people, strengthening their self-esteem and sense of Mozambican identity".
Guebuza said he was certain that the prize "will galvanise you to continue giving your best for Mozambique and for humanity".
The executive director of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation, Leonardo Simao, who was foreign minister for ten years under Chissano, said "although the prize has been granted to one person, it belongs to all Mozambicans, and results from the efforts of the entire people".
Simao believed the key factors behind the Prize Committee's decision included the political reforms headed by Chissano, which led to "democratic openness", as well as his role in bringing peace to Mozambique, and the tolerance that he had displayed. He believed the prize would help greatly in increasing Mozambique's standing in the world.
The spokesperson for the parliamentary group of the ruling Frelimo Party, Feliciano Mata, told reporters that Frelimo parliamentarians were "overjoyed" that the prize had gone to Chissano. "It's a recognition of the good governance that Frelimo has been implementing since independence in 1975", he said.
He added that the prize brought responsibilities - Mozambicans would now have to live up to the high standards set by Chissano.
The country's best known writer, the novelist Mia Couto, told AIM he was "very satisfied" at the prize. "Mozambique has few winners", he said, "and we need to reward the attitude Chissano took in his relation to power".
Couto believed Chissano's role in the construction of peace, and "his tolerance for other political forces in building stability", should be praised. He recognised blemishes on Chissano's record, but believed these were outweighed by "his relationship to the exercise of power, which was important in implanting a pluralist democracy".
Even the former rebel movement Renamo had words of congratulation. Renamo national spokesperson Fernando Mazanga told AIM the award to Chissano was "very good". He stressed that Renamo had "no personal hostility" towards the former President.
"We have political adversaries not personal ones".
But he also claimed that Renamo's "patience, and its facilitation of the government's ability to carry out its programme", had contributed to creating the atmosphere in which the prize could be given.
"We hope he will make good use of the money to contribute towards consolidating peace and to the fight against poverty", concluded Mazanga.
SOURCE: AIM
