Dhlakama sees no reason to hold a referendum – Mozambique

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Dhlakama sees no reason to hold a referendum – Mozambique

1:56 CAT | 09 Feb 2018

O País

Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama says he sees no reason to hold a referendum to accommodate the constitutional changes. Dhlakama reacts, in this way, to the analyses of lawyers who raised this hypothesis. “I do not see the
force majeure for a referendum. It was a negotiation between the government and the opposition, in this case Renamo. The lawyers are right as jurists, but they have no reason to talk about a referendum, it has nothing to do with this,” he said.

Also Read: Mozambique: Would constitutional changes represent democratic backsliding?

Regarding the model of election of governors, mayors and district administrators, Renamo says it has proposed that it would be by direct election but the government delegation refused.

“Renamo has always advocated direct voting for governors, even for districts and municipalities. Frelimo put its foot down and went as far as saying that, would Renamo continue to insist that the election of the candidates should be direct, Frelimo’s majority in the Assembly of the Republic would receive instructions to vote against. It was very difficult for me, to boycott, to allow everything to be left behind, just because of the issue of the modality [direct or indirect election]”, he said. Dhlakama then went on to add that there will not even be a ‘cabeça de lista’, person heading the list of candidates.

He spoke of the powers of the governors: “The governor-elect is going to govern the province. He will have the power to appoint its government, which will be the directors of health, education, transport, agriculture, fisheries. This is within the competence of the one who won.”

He said he was open to ideas to improve the agreement reached.

Source: O País