New MDM Secretary General Leonor Lopes de Sousa promises to unite the party

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New MDM Secretary General Leonor Lopes de Sousa promises to unite the party

1:52 CAT | 11 Apr 2022

Photo: DW

Leonor Elisa Lopes de Sousa, the new secretary general of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), has already affirmed that the party’s goal, which she wants to see pursued more dynamically, is “to work to win the 2023 municipal elections”.

Leonor de Sousa, a familiar face in the party, was appointed to the post at the Second Ordinary Session of the MDM National Council in Manica, where she also said that she wanted to put an end to the internal divisions in the party.

The new face of the third-largest political party in the Mozambican parliament joined the MDM in 2012, and has held several national leadership positions. At the age of 58, Leonor Elisa Lopes de Sousa now replaces José Domingos Manuel, who served as MDM secretary general for four years.

Speaking this Sunday (April 10), Leonor de Sousa said that she would work with members of the party at all levels to secure good results in the 2023 local elections.

“We can expect an active, dynamic and more participatory MDM, working hard at the bases, which will be done in brigades from the provinces, districts, neighbourhoods and localities. As secretary general, I have no limits,” she said.

“MDM’s goal is to win local municipalities “

“The MDM’s goal is to win the municipal elections,” de Sousa said. “There is no divisionism within the party, and there will be none, because we shall fight for it not to happen.”

Speaking on the same occasion, outgoing secretary general José Domingos Manuel said he was leaving the post with his head held high. He expressed his availability to support the new secretariat, which took office this Sunday, saying: “To the new Secretariat, a request for more work, more dynamism.”

Leonor.dw_ — Leonor de Sousa replaces José Domingos Manuel (right)

“Whenever a team changes a player, we expect a better result and with our support we will always be ready and we will get where we want to go, which is to bring Mozambique to all, ” said Domingos, one of senior members at the two-day session set to return home as ordinary members of the MDM’s National Political Commission.

The party’s president, Lutero Simango, challenged members newly appointed to leadership positions to work hard to restore the image of the MDM, so that the party could win the elections in some municipalities in the country.

“The people want change and alternatives, and our vision and political program is the solution. We want a Mozambique for all, of inclusion and the riches of our homeland to serve the nation. We want to convey a message of hope to all the Mozambican people that we can change this way of living and be governed with human dignity,” Simango said.

Bet on the feminine to “deconstruct narratives”

In an interview with DW, political analyst Nelson Benjamin congratulated the party on appointing a woman from the north of the country. Simango was thereby deconstructing the narrative that the MDM was a tribalist, regionalist party, which had always been led by people from the centre of the country.

“Significant gains can be expected from the appointment of the new secretary general. She must present her work and foster unity, so that the MDM can find itself again, and guarantee internal cohesion within the party, because divisionism was visible during the Congress process. It is time for the new secretary general to bring all party members to political work, and it is important to transmit the message of unity and cohesion,” Benjamin said.

In addition to the appointment of the secretary general, members were also appointed to posts in the national political commission, and in jurisdiction, mobilisation and propaganda, information, finance, projects, social affairs, external affairs, the national department of local governance, director of the party school, legal and financial, political and diplomatic, press, and adviser to the president, protocol and spokesperson positions.

Source: Deutsche Welle