Competing candidates no reason for conflict – Manuel Tome

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Competing candidates no reason for conflict – Manuel Tome

8:00 CAT | 03 Jul 2018

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The fact that several members of the ruling Frelimo Party are competing to be mayoral candidates in the same municipality is no reason for conflict inside the party, declared Political Commission member Manuel Tome on Friday.

Tome, who heads the Frelimo brigade for the central province of Zambezia, was speaking at a press conference in the provincial capital, Quelimane, at the end of a six day tour of the province, preparing for the municipal elections scheduled for 10 October.

This work was to prepare the local Frelimo committees to implement the directive on the internal elections that will choose the candidates for the municipal assemblies, and the heads of the lists. Under the constitutional amendments passed in May, there will no longer be separate mayoral elections. The head of the list of whichever party wins a majority of votes in the assembly election, will automatically become mayor.

“Our recommendation”, said Tome, “is that those militants who enjoy respect in society and have a capacity for management and leadership should be chosen”.

Frelimo, he added, wants all six municipalities in Zambezia to be governed by people who will serve the interests of municipal citizens “with responsibility and integrity and without manipulation”.

Asked when Frelimo will announce the names of its mayoral candidates, Tome said that the internal elections were still under way. Nonetheless, he hoped that by Monday the names will be available.

Tome added that his brigade has noted with satisfaction the high level of commitment of the Zambezia population to increasing agricultural production and productivity. He urged the citizens of the province to remain committed to the fight against poverty.

He was also convinced that Frelimo can win in all six municipalities – this will mean taking control of Quelimane and the town of Gurue, which are currently run by the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).

The MDM has already announced that it is standing the majors of these two municipalities, Manuel de Araujo and Orlando Janeiro, for a further term of office.

Source: AIM