Mozambique: Renamo, MDM opposition MPs sworn in

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Mozambique: Renamo, MDM opposition MPs sworn in

5:14 CAT | 29 Jan 2025

Photo: Jornal Moçambique

Thirty-four members of parliament from the opposition Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) were sworn in on Wednesday, two weeks after the inauguration of the new Mozambican parliament following the elections on 9 October.

At the swearing-in session for the new members of parliament from both parties, the speaker of parliament, Margarida Talapa, emphasised the role of parliament as a place of “excellence for political debate to generate consensus, for harmonious relations”, with respect for diversity.

“Time is running out for us to participate with all our energies in the pacification of Mozambican society,” said Margarida Talapa, calling for parliament to adopt a new stance in order to “show different results”.

“The Parliament has to be the worthy representative of all Mozambicans,” she emphasised.

Seven of the MDM’s eight MPs and 27 of Renamo’s 28 were sworn in today for the tenth parliamentary term.

José Manteiga, Renamo’s newly sworn-in MP, explained on the sidelines of the meeting that the party decided to take office after missing the session that marked the investiture of the newly elected representatives on the 13th, in order to protect and defend the interests of the people.

“Today we take office because we are certain that Mozambicans must be defended. The interests of Mozambicans must be protected, the higher interests of the Mozambican nation must be defended,” he said.

On the other hand, for Fernado Bismarques, from the MDM, the MPs must respond to the wishes of the people.

“We were temporarily lent this power by the sovereign people,” he concluded.

Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) had scheduled 13 January for the investiture of the parliament members elected in the 9 October general elections. However, the Renamo and MDM parties were not present at the swearing-in ceremony.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by 210 elected MPs, 171 of them from the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) and 39 from the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos).

Frelimo won the elections to the Mozambican parliament with an absolute majority, securing 171 deputies, with newcomer Podemos electing 43, dethroning Renamo as the leader of the opposition, according to the proclamation of the results on 23 December by the president of the Constitutional Council (CC), Lúcia Ribeiro.

The process surrounding the general elections has been marked over the last two and a half months by social tensions, demonstrations and stoppages, in a contestation of the election results that has led to at least 315 deaths and around 750 gunshot wounds.

Source: Lusa