Mozambique Elections: Mondlane wants a united front to ‘overthrow regime’

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Mozambique Elections: Mondlane wants a united front to ‘overthrow regime’

6:14 CAT | 07 Aug 2024

Photo: Lusa

Mozambican presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane on Wednesday called for the formation of a “united front” with all the parties running in the 9 October elections to “overthrow the regime” and save Mozambique.

“It’s time for us to strengthen ourselves and also invite all the other parties that are running at the moment, to form a united front to overthrow this regime that is really settled, that is the enemy of the Mozambican people, that is the enemy of democracy, of multipartyism and of all the parties that want to see Mozambique saved,” Venâncio Mondlane told Lusa during a peaceful demonstration in Maputo, again contesting the exclusion of the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD) from that vote, which supported his candidacy for president.

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Venâncio Mondlane is now running for the Mozambican presidency without the support of a political grouping – he was also leading the CAD list for the legislative elections in Maputo, which collapsed due to the coalition’s exclusion – and now considers himself a “people’s candidate” with the “best project for Mozambique’s salvation”.

“The project we bring is the best for Mozambique’s salvation. If all these parties that are running really want the salvation of this nation, they will join our project,” emphasised the politician and former member of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo, the largest opposition party), which he left in May.

Last Thursday, Mozambique’s Constitutional Council (CC) definitively excluded the CAD coalition from the 9 October general elections (legislative and provincial).

In the ruling, in response to the appeal filed by CAD over the exclusion of the candidacy previously decided by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), the CC declares the CNE’s decision of 9 May, which accepted the coalition’s registration for electoral purposes, null and void.

Accompanied by just over two dozen people with black gloves and black-painted hands raised high, Venâncio Mondlane demonstrated near the Junta transport terminal in Maputo against the exclusion of the CAD, an action that symbolised, he said, the “funeral of democracy and justice” in Mozambique, announcing that more demonstrations would be held.

“This is the first demonstration of many that will take place until the definitive fall of the murderers of democracy and justice, of those whose function is purely and simply to act against the will and sovereignty of the people,” said Mondlane, during the gathering, which lasted less than an hour.

CAD has a second demonstration scheduled for today at 20:00 (one hour less in Lisbon), calling for a gathering in a local square to “light candles for five minutes”.

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“This time we won’t be marching, we want to avoid any trouble. It will be a super-peaceful demonstration,” Luís Mariquele, CAD’s national communications and image leader, told Lusa on Tuesday, referring to episodes of violence recorded in some marches in the country.

“Let it be clear here that the provinces in the centre and north are simply waiting for the whistle to blow to start blowing up the country, so it’s [also] a way of containing people’s spirits,” he added.

On Friday, the CAD accused the CC of violating the Constitution, considering that its exclusion was the result of political persecution for its support for Venâncio Mondlane’s candidacy.

“We signed up and the decision was accepted and published in the Official State Gazette. When they realise that Venâncio Mondlane’s candidacy is supported by the CAD, the problem began. The problem is political persecution,” said Manecas Daniel, who heads the CAD, at a press conference in Maputo.

Mozambique is holding presidential elections on 9 October, which will take place at the same time as legislative elections and elections for governors and provincial assemblies.

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