Frelimo “never received Renamo’s invitation” to discuss Constitution – Mozambique

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Frelimo “never received Renamo’s invitation” to discuss Constitution – Mozambique

7:06 CAT | 08 Dec 2015

In file Club of Mozambique.

The leader of majority parliamentary party Frelimo says that she never received an invitation from Renamo to discuss the partial revision of the Mozambican constitution.

“We expected to receive an invitation from Renamo to analyse the matter,” Margarida Talapa said yesterday in parliament, suggesting the creation of a commission to overhaul the Constitution in the next parliamentary session.

The Frelimo majority in parliament yesterday rejected an appeal for the revision of the Constitution submitted by Renamo aimed at transforming the constitutional structure of the country and allowing it to govern in the six provinces where it claims victory in the general elections of October last year.

According to Talapa, “Frelimo is not against the revision. Let’s create an ad hoc commission for the comprehensive revision of the Constitution next session,” she suggested, emphasising the importance of dialogue and peace.

“What we see so far is that some continue to think they will be able to achieve their goals with just the weapons in their hands,” accused Talapa.

Meanwhile, the head of the Renamo bench, Ivone Soares, said that the rejection of the proposal was a Frelimo strategy to push the main opposition party into open war and deny the people the right to be governed by those they supported in the elections.

“You have rejected everything and now what is your way out?” he asked, accusing Frelimo of behaving like “the owner of the country”.

Before the vote, Eduardo Namburete, Renamo MP, had said at the plenary session that the rejection of the revision of the Constitution could push the country towards confrontation and that the proposal was a path to political and military stability.

Geraldo Carvalho, member of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique, the second largest opposition party in parliament, expalined that his party voted in favour of the draft bill, on the grounds that the Renamo solution was a good compromise between Frelimo’s absolute legalism and the military pressure that has been exerted by the main opposition party.

“MDM has always advocated and continues to advocate the election of provincial governors,” he stressed.

This is the second time Renamo’s proposal for autonomous provincial authorities has been rejected in Parliament. The last legislature did establish an ad hoc commission to look into revising the Constitution, but the working group did not in the end submit a proposal to parliament.

Source: Lusa