MDM women and youth call for greater say in party

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MDM women and youth call for greater say in party

12:02 CAT | 07 Dec 2017

MDM Facebook (Courtesy photo)

The Women’s and Youth Leagues of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) have demanded a greater role inside the party.

Speaking on Tuesday at the opening session of the MDM Second Congress in the northern city of Nampula, the chairperson of the Youth League, Renamo Muelega, said there should be a quota of 30 per cent for young people in all the main bodies of the party, including the national political commission, the general secretariat and the provincial delegations.

Muelega also urged the Congress to discuss the rules of party discipline. “There is an exacerbated lack of discipline in the party”, he said. “We don’t want to be known as a party of people who have no discipline”.

The chairperson of the MDM Women’s League, Judite Sitoi, called for a greater presence of women in the party’s leading bodies. “Our expectation is that henceforth we shall have a relevant space in the political action of the party”.

Asked to speak on behalf of representatives of the MDM abroad, Fernando Chironda, a Mozambican living in Italy, said that the party’s main internal challenge is “a constructive debate to restore cohesion”, referring to the divisions inside the party following the assassination on 4 October of the mayor of Nampula, Mahamaudo Amurane.

The MDM invited other Mozambican parties to attend the Congress. The ruling Frelimo Party sent Samuel Massango, head of the department of national organisations at the Frelimo Central Committee. In striking contrast to the hate-filled speeches of several Frelimo parliamentary deputies, who have publicly accused the MDM of murdering Amurane, Massarango addressed the Congress with greetings from Frelimo.

Although invited, there was no sign of anyone from the main opposition force, the rebel movement Renamo, at least not at the opening session.

Source: AIM