Renamo congress set for mid-January

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Renamo congress set for mid-January

7:48 CAT | 03 Dec 2018

Photo: O País

Mozambique’s main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, will hold a Congress to elect its new leader in mid-January, according to a report in the electronic version of the independent daily “O Pais”.

The Renamo National Council met on 29-30 November at the Renamo military headquarters in the central district of Gorongosa, and decided that the Congress will also take place in Gorongosa district, from 15 to 17 January.

According to the spokesperson for the National Council, Jose Manteigas, the meeting drew up requirements for anyone wishing to become the Party’s President, filling the vacancy left when the man who had led the party since 1979, Afonso Dhlakama, died of diabetes in May.

Any candidate for the position must be an “original” (that is, not naturalised) Mozambican citizen, who is at least 35 years old, and has not only been a member of Renamo for at least 15 years, but has also been “politically active” for at least five years. Candidates must be at least one of the following: a) “fighter in the struggle for democracy” (i.e. a member of the Renamo army during the war of destabilisation); b) General secretary; c) Member of the National Council; d) Member of the National Political Commission; e) member of the Jurisdictional Council; f) chairperson of a Renamo Provincial Council; g) a national or regional department head; h) a district or provincial political delegate.

In addition, candidates must have paid their Renamo membership fees for the last two years, and must be persons “of recognised merit”.

This list of conditions seems to rule out one of the men often mentioned as a potential successor to Afonso Dhlakama – namely his younger brother, Elias Dhlakama. The younger Dhlakama joined the united national army, the FADM, immediately it was formed in 1994, and rose to become a Brigadier.

He left active duty about two months ago, and is now a reservist. For 24 years Elias Dhlakama was an FADM officer, and as such was barred from taking part in any political activities. He might have been a member of Renamo, though even that is not clear. But he certainly held no position in the party, and could not have been “politically active for at least five years”.

Asked about this obstacle to a possible candidacy by Elias Dhlakama. Manteigas said the Congress could “open exceptions” to these rules, and the younger Dhlakama might be covered by such exceptions.

An office to prepare the Congress has been set up, and Manteigas said it will soon announce the dates for potential candidates to submit their applications.

As for the venue, Manteigas said it would be held at the Renamo headquarters only if the weather allows. Since January is in the middle of the rainy season, it may prove impossible to hold a congress in the bush – in which case the venue will be shifted to Gorongosa town. Manteigas expected 700 participants at the Congress and 300 guests.

Two other names have been mentioned repeatedly as likely candidates for the Renamo presidency. One is the current interim coordinator of the Renamo Political Commission, Ossufo Momade, who holds the rank of a Renamo general. The other is the party’s General Secretary, Manuel Bissopo.

Conventional wisdom has it that Bissopo may be out of the running because of his poor showing in the municipal elections in which he was the Renamo candidate for Mayor of Beira. He came third, behind the incumbent, Daviz Simango, leader of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), and the candidate of the ruling Frelimo Party, Augusta Maita.

One name notably absent from the current speculation is the head of the Renamo parliamentary group, Ivone Soares. As a relatively young woman, one of the most public faces of Renamo, and a relative of Afonso Dhlakama (his niece), she might be regarded as a natural candidate, but her lack of military experience, and the male dominance of the top echelons of the Renamo leadership may tell against her.

A document from the National Council meeting called on the government to speed up the inclusion of Renamo officers in the hierarchy of the FADM and the police, and the subsequent phases leading to the conclusion of the negotiations between the government and Renamo.

“There have been some advances, notably the promotion of 14 Renamo officers about three months ago, but since then there have been no further developments”, said the Renamo document. “Our desire is to see this process completed quickly, and we hope that the government will comply with its part”.

At the opening session of the National Council, Ossufo Momade, expressed his anger at the gross irregularities in the municipal elections (reports from independent observers suggest that these irregularities deprived Renamo of victory in four municipalities).

He accused Mozambican civil society of complicity in these irregularities through its silence. “When we react, this same civil society will be the first to condemn us, and to urge us to resolve our differences through dialogue”, he said. “For us, this is a very strange attitude, because in our view the maintenance of peace and national reconciliation is a collective responsibility”.

“We shall continue to follow all the legal procedures for dealing with electoral offences, in the hope that the electoral bodies will carry out zealously their part, and will not follow hidden agendas, calling into question the popular will”, declared Momade.

Source: AIM