Mozambique: 2024 election doubts, ensuing protests weigh on democracy rating - report
Civil society brings in 23 to monitor peace talks; 6 to be part of Joint Commission
10:32 CAT | 20 Jul 2016
Mozambique’s Youth Parliament yesterday presented a 23-strong panel “to promote coordinated actions between different players with a view to jointly monitoring the political dialogue and other targeted efforts to consolidate peace and strengthen multi-party democracy in Mozambique,” reports Noticias.
Of the 23 personalities, it is proposed that six would be part of the Joint Committee preparing the meeting between President Nyusi and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama, in the spirit of the commitment made by the head of state that dialogue in the country should be extended to other stakeholders and not confined to the two main political parties, reads a Notícias report on the initiative.
The civil society organization wants the panel to participate in monitoring political dialogue aimed at finding a sustainable way out of the ongoing military conflict in Mozambique, and facilitate actions leading to the strengthening of multiparty democracy, thus interrupting the unstable trajectory of the national democratic history.
According to its terms of reference, the political dialogue monitoring panel aims to be a forum where players from different political, religious, academic and other areas can share ideas regarding the political dialogue and alternative information conducive to finding a lasting and sustainable peace.
The panel’s formation comes out of the Youth Parliament “Thinking Mozambique” conference held between the 5th and 19th of this month in partnership with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy.
The parliament is a general-purpose platform which aims to foster alternative solutions to political dialogue and actions aimed at strengthening multiparty democracy and active participation in search for solutions in Mozambique.
The panel’s specific objectives are to open a space for greater citizen participation in finding solutions to the political dialogue and the maintenance of multi-party democracy; to influence the political dialogue in the search for consensus and sustainable solutions; to influence political parties to open lines of dialogue contributing to increasing mutual confidence; to collate and share the wishes of the public and other players on the course of political dialogue; and to exert influence on political parties and their leaders so that adopt they practices conducive to political and social stability.
The panel aims to be guided by the principles of tolerance, neutrality, impartiality, volunteering and activism and will hold hearings with national players, diplomats and others relevant to the search for viable solutions. Consultation sessions will be held at national, regional or provincial level, and will promote popular action through the mobilisation of society through street citizenship.
The President of the Youth Parliament, Salomão Muchanga, said that the advocacy movement for youth rights and priorities in the country would continue to “raise the voice of youth, stimulate a new social role of youth and positively put pressure on the government and Renamo to urgently find a definitive solution to peace”, adding that youth was “excited about the dynamics of building a country of peace and progress”.
Among the personalities on the panel are the Anglican Bishop Carlos Matsinhe, Rev. Dinis Matsolo (Methodist Church), economist Roberto Tibana, the president of the Mozambican Human Rights League, Alice Mabota, President of the Youth Parliament, Salomão Muchanga, Eric Charas, Egídio Vaz, Jeremias Mondlane and Benilde Nhalivilo.
Also on the panel are the actor Gilberto Mendes, journalist Lázaro Mabunda, Deisy Chongo, from the students association of USTM, TV host Eunice Andrade, Adelson Rafael, Ivanilda Madede, musicians Paulo Torres (Caliza) and Azagaia, Lucílio Manjate, Mardel Juma, Acúrsia Safalina, Mussai Mussai, Bitone Viagem and Cadaf Alberto Inrule from the UEM Students Association.
The panel can be augmented with further members.
Source: Notícias
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