Leader of third largest party says peace remains under threat in Mozambique

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Leader of third largest party says peace remains under threat in Mozambique

8:56 CAT | 08 Aug 2017

Lusa (File photo) / Daviz Simango

Daviz Simango, leader of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), Mozambique’s third-largest political party, said yesterday that peace was still under threat in Mozambique, and that poorly managed electoral processes were the main cause of instability.

“Many of these conflicts are the result of poorly managed electoral processes,” Simango said at a press conference on Sunday’s meeting between Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo).

Daviz Simango pointed out that the latest developments are insufficient to ensure peace in Mozambique, since Mozambicans are not yet involved in this peace process.

“The involvement of Mozambicans, not only of political parties, but of all Mozambican society, is fundamental,” the MDM president stressed.

Simango said Mozambicans remained apprehensive about the normalisation of political life because of the various interests involved in the attainment of peace.

He said that the Constitutional Council, the National Election Commission and the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration had all mismanaged electoral processes and disputes, and these same bodies would be the ones directing the forthcoming elections.

Furthermore, he continued, there was no guarantee that the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces would stop persecuting opponents of the government and the ruling party, Frelimo (the Mozambican Liberation Front).

Also Read: Polling Station Minutes Never Disappeared: Sheik Abdul Carimo Sau, Head of Mozambique National National Elections Commission

“We need to look deeply into the reasons for the conflict and the economic problems that the country has and we [the MDM] insist on the need for an immediate revision of our constitution,” Simango said.

President Nyusi and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama met on Sunday to discuss the next steps in the peace process, according to a statement released by the Mozambican presidency.

Also Read: Namashulua calls for transparency in elections and CNE wants new electronic checking system

The two, who met in Gorongosa, “discussed and agreed on the next steps in the peace process, which they hope will be concluded by the end of the year.”

The statement said that the two leaders “agreed that they would continue their dialogue and closely monitor the work of the two commissions, aiming for a new meeting to prepare for the final steps soon”.

The presidency press release was sent to the Lusa news agency, accompanied by photos of Nyusi and Dhlakama during the meeting.

Source: Lusa