Mozambique: Armed Forces receive 22 vehicles from the EU training mission
File photo: O País
Samora Machel Júnior’s candidacy as head of the list of the Youth Development Association of Mozambique (AJUDEM) continues to be a problem within Frelimo, with the most radical sector trying to do everything and anything to discredit to the maximum possible extent both the candidate and the organisation supporting his application.
Since Friday, Radio Mozambique, the public information agency aligned with the ruling party, began to disclose the alleged desertions of members of AJUDEM, allegedly because they did not know why their names were even placed in the organisation’s membership lists.
The channel only quoted a single interviewee, but the title of the news article broadcast in the space “RM Jornal” spoke of a group of dissidents. By Saturday, Radio Mozambique reported that “the number of dissidents grows”, now listing a group of three – four including the one mentioned on Friday.
The alleged dissidents interviewed by Radio Moçambique accused AJUDEM of having falsified documents to guarantee entry to the National Commission of Elections (CNE), including criminal records and signatures. Spokespersons for the organisation retort that everything that is happening is manipulation, threat and vain attempts to discredit Samora Machel Junior’s AJUDEM candidacy.
“We knew that this would happen … it was predictable,” the group says. “Several AJUDEM members have been contacted. They are being threatened. Some have had their jobs, even in the state sector, threatened. At least some specific posts may be lost in the next few days because of this,” Elídio Mavume, one of the youth leaders of the organisation and recipient of a phone call from the First Secretary of the Frelimo party in Maputo City, Francisco Mabjaia, said.
Mavume said the first secretary asked for “cohesion and distancing from the enemy”, he said. “That is, the enemy, for him, is Samora Machel, hence the suggestion of cohesion and moving away from Samora Machel Júnior.” He says he knows of about ten members who have already received phone calls from the first secretary or his close collaborators, including Alex Muianga.
Mavume said it completely strange that the supposed deserters were publicly claiming falsification of documents while themselves referring the case to AJUDEM.
On Saturday, Artemisa Magaia levelled accusations of harassment after she was summoned by the first secretary for questioning about the fact that she is supporting Samora Junior’s candidacy.
“So let it be clear that more than ten members have been contacted one by one. The cowardly and less strong have given in to the threats, and are now playing the victim themselves, “said Mavume, to whom supporters of Samora Junior should be strong because” most likely, there are much heavier blackmails out there … we know that. ”
Waiting for CNE notification
At the moment, the organisation says that it is waiting to be notified by the National Election Commission regarding complaints by the alleged victims about their names being allegedly misused.
In principle, the CNE can not deliberate at all without hearing the application of AJUDEM. Moreover, from a procedural point of view, the complainants’ communication should not have gone to the CNE before going through the agent’s application. And what is known is that, at no time, the agent was contacted by the complainants.
At the time of the closing of this edition, the CNE was still meeting and the issue of dissidents was on the table.
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.