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Mario Albino, leader of the AMUSI party
AMUSI party candidate for the Mozambican presidency Mário Albino says he has been threatened since the campaign began, allegedly by people linked to Frelimo. But the ruling party denies the allegations and speaks of political “juggling”.
Electoral campaigning in Mozambique for the October 15 presidential elections began in an orderly and peaceful manner, according to authorities and observers. But the same does not apply to Mario Albino, presidential candidate of the extra-parliamentary party ‘United Movement for Integral Salvation Action’ (AMUSI), who claims to have been the target of death threats allegedly linked to the ruling Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo).
Mario Albino says he was first warned by one of his party’s activists that “Frelimo was planning to assassinate the AMUSI candidate for President of the Republic”, with the aim of avoiding channelling state funds to competing political parties, and so that “the party doesn’t grow in the north”.
Then, according to the presidential candidate, strangers were seen at AMUSI headquarters in Nampula. Questioned by party members, the strangers identified themselves as being officers of the State Information and Security Service (SISE), although they presented no official credentials, Albino says.
“As if that were not enough, we found a black car here around 6:00 p.m. [on Monday]. We tried to block it, but it got away. And right in the doorway of my house, I found a car blocking my entrance, but my men chased that away too,” he adds.
Manuel Silvestre, another AMUSI member, tells DW Africa that he has witnessed the threats to his leader.
“In fact, we are seeing threats, because it is strange what happened this week,” Silvestre says. “Strange people are showing up, in cars with tinted glasses, and we realised that this is a threat to our leader. I have experienced this situation. A black car blocked our president’s car, and it was lucky, because otherwise it would have been fatal, since there was no security around at that time.”
Albino vows not to be intimidated
Albino, one of four candidates for the presidency of the Republic of Mozambique, says he has informed police authorities about his concerns, but asserts that he is not intimidated.
“We want to call on Frelimo to stop these provocations, and the world must be aware,” says Mario Albino. “We are concerned. The international community donates to this country, and should act as a supervisor in this election campaign process. The so-called civil society is not showing up. Where are they? Will they only appear only after a lot of noise?”
Frelimo however denies any involvement by its members in the alleged threats, and charges AMUSI with a lack of agenda or any political manifesto, so that it would resort to “juggling”.
“Frelimo is a party of peace and tranquillity. We have an electoral manifesto and we have an agenda for the election campaign and we think all political parties should have the same thing and not try to juggle, to try to confuse public opinion,” Frelimo spokesman Caifadine Manasse retorts.
DW Africa tried unsuccessfully to get a reaction to the AMUSI allegations from the Mozambique police.
Since the election campaign began on Saturday (31/08), the AMUSI presidential candidate has been working only in Nampula province, and without campaign material, because funds from the electoral bodies have not yet been forthcoming.
CNE spokesman Paulo Cuinica said, however, that his institution had transferred funds to all parties except two, which had not yet submitted bank details. He did not disclose whether AMUSI was among them.
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