Nampula mayor continues boycot of MDM meeting – AIM report

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Nampula mayor continues boycot of MDM meeting – AIM report

6:35 CAT | 22 Feb 2017

The Political Commission of Mozambique’s second largest opposition party, the Mozambique Democratic Party (MDM), completed a two day meeting in the northern city of Nampula on Monday, with no sign of the city’s mayor, Mahamudo Amurane, who is also a member of the Commission.

When Amurane missed the first day of the meeting, on Sunday, there were still hopes that he would show up on Monday. But he did not do so.

Amurane’s boycott was complete. According to a report in Tuesday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, he did not take part in the reception for the party’s leader, Daviz Simango, when he arrived in Nampula, he did not join an MDM march through the streets of the city, and he did not put in any appearance at the Political Commission meeting.

Amurane received an invitation to meet with Simango, but he did not reply. He was certainly in Nampula, and when a reporter from the daily paper “O Pais” contacted him, he said he had “nothing to explain” about his absence from the MDM meeting.

Amurane’s behavior has opened speculation that he is on the point of leaving the party. His disaffection arises from the alleged involvement of MDM members in corrupt practices. Earlier this month he accused unnamed figures in the MDM of attempting to denigrate him “because I will not do deals with corruption”.

The meeting was intended to prepare the MDM’s Second Congress, due to be held in December. Also on the agenda were the municipal elections due in late 2018. The MDM currently controls four of the country’s 51 municipalities (Nampula, Beira, Quelimane and Gurue).

At the last local elections, in 2013, the MDM benefitted from a boycott by the main opposition party, the rebel movement Renamo. Those elections were thus a straight fight between the ruling Frelimo Party and the MDM. But this time, Renamo has pledged to stand candidates, which may make it difficult for the MDM to hold onto its gains.

The Political Commission also appointed one of the MDM’s most prominent parliamentary deputies, Venancio Mondlane, as the spokesperson for the December Congress.

Source: AIM