Frelimo calls for no violence in campaign

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Frelimo calls for no violence in campaign

7:05 CAT | 24 Sep 2018

Caifadine Manasse / File photo

Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo Party on Monday urged all residents in the country’s 53 municipalities to behave in a peaceful manner during the official election campaign, which begins on Tuesday, and avoid the violence between supporters of Frelimo and of opposition parties that had marred the 2014 general elections.

The Frelimo Central Committee spokesperson, Caifadine Manasse, told reporters at a Maputo press conference “We want this campaign crowned with a civic attitude, so that it consolidates still further the process of constructing democracy”.

He said Frelimo hopes that the campaign will take place in a festive atmosphere “and that we all do our part so that Mozambique prospers, and sets an example in elections and election campaigns”.

Asked what new strategies Frelimo has to retake the four municipalities that are under opposition control (Nampula, Beira, Quelimane and Gurue), Manasse claimed that Frelimo is going into the campaign “more united and cohesive, and we are, above all, tranquil”.

“Frelimo is tranquil because Frelimo is in favour of maintaining and consolidating the institutions of state”, he said. Frelimo had accepted its defeat in those four municipalities, and regarded the defeat “as a lesson that has galvanised us to work to recover those municipalities that are currently governed by the opposition”.

Contrary to Manasse’s optimism, Frelimo is far from united. In August, the party suffered a potentially damaging split when a Central Committee member, and son of Mozambique’s first President, Samora Machel Junior (“Samito”), broke ranks, and attempted to run for mayor of Maputo as an independent.

Source: AIM