Joint Commission discusses decentralisation in secret – AIM report

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Joint Commission discusses decentralisation in secret – AIM report

5:28 CAT | 23 Sep 2016

Noticias

Decentralisation in Mozambique is not a matter that can be discussed only between the delegations of the government and the Renamo rebels, according to Mario Raffaelli, the Italian coordinator of the international team mediating in talks between the two sides.

The government/Renamo Joint Commission on Thursday listened to two lectures on decentralisation, one given by German academic Bernhard Weimer, who has worked as an advisor to the Ministry of State Administration, and the other by Eliseu de Sousa, a spokesperson for the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM). Initial reports that the MDM leader himself Daviz Simango, would give the talk proved unfounded.

The media has no precise idea of what either speaker said, since, in a fit of obsessive secrecy, the discussion was held behind closed doors.

After the meeting Weimer remarked “I don’t know if I managed to meet all the expectations, but it seems there was a good resonance. The questions raised were very important”.

Sousa also believed his presentation had gone down well. “The points broached are of national interest and we are patiently waiting for this search for peace to reach a good conclusion”.

Raffaelli told reports that decentralisation “is a matter which should be discussed with all those who are interested, such as the MDM, which is represented in parliament, or other social groups”. He added that neither the MDM nor any other group was asking to be included in the Joint Commission, since everybody knows that the negotiations are between the parties involved in the politico-military conflict”.

Renamo’s view of decentralisation is simply that it should be allowed to govern the provinces where it claims to have won a majority in the October 2014 general elections. In particular, it is demanding the right to appoint governors in six provinces (Sofala, Manica, Tete, Zambezia, Nampula and Niassa).

The MDM’s position is quite different. It is calling for the election of provincial governors, either by universal suffrage, or by the provincial assemblies. Senior figures within the ruling Frelimo Party, notably former information minister Teodato Hunguana, have also argued that the governors should be elected.

The Joint Commission was set up to prepare a face-to-face meeting between President Filipe Nyusi and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama. But so far there is no sign of such a meeting, and Dhlakama is refusing to leave his bush headquarters in the central district of Gorongosa.

The Commission began discussing this week the question of including members of Renamo’s illegal militia in the armed forces (FADM) and the police. Renamo was asked for a specific proposal on the matter, and promised to bring one to the Wednesday meeting of the commission.

But Renamo brought no proposals and claimed that its experts are still working on the matter.

Source: AIM