Mozambique elections, AIM report: Araújo claims he still has “lots of energy”

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Mozambique elections, AIM report: Araújo claims he still has “lots of energy”

10:09 CAT | 27 Sep 2018

Manuel de Araújo. Photo: O País

The mayoral candidate for the central Mozambican city of Quelimane of the former rebel movement Renamo, Manuel de Araujo, declared on Tuesday, the first day of the municipal election campaign, that he still has “plenty of energy” to continue governing the city.

“I have a lot more energy to head the destiny of Quelimane, because of my love for this place where I was born and grew up and which always looked after me”, he told reporters. “What I am doing is returning a tiny part of what this land gave to me”.

Araujo is in an unprecedented situation – he was elected mayor of Quelimane on the ticket of one party, but is now campaigning for re-election for a different party.

Araujo has turned his coat twice in the space of a decade. In 2004, he was elected a member of the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, for Renamo. He then defected to the newly formed Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), and was elected mayor of Quelimane in a by-election in 2011.

In 2013, in the nationwide municipal elections of that year, he was re-elected, and the MDM secured an absolute majority of seats on the Quelimane municipal assembly. The MDM wanted Araujo to run as its mayoral candidate this time too – but instead he returned to Renamo about three months ago. Although he owes his recent career to the MDM, he publicly described the MDM as “a party of bandits”.

Renamo snatched up the defector, and made him its mayoral candidate. But perhaps Araujo should have read the municipal legislation more carefully. A clause in the 1997 law on administrative supervision of municipalities states that “office holders in municipalities shall lose their office if, after the elections, they join a party or list different from the one for which they presented themselves to the electorate”.

Acting on this law, the government sacked Araujo in late August. But, although there is no doubt about the facts, Araujo has appealed against the government decision to the Administrative Tribunal which has yet to give a ruling. Meanwhile, Araujo has insisted that he is still the legitimate mayor.

“The fact that there has been no response so far to my appeal, does not reduce my energies”, said Araujo. “On the contrary, it gives me more strength”.

He said he would not comment further on the matter, because “we should not put pressure on the bodies of the administration of justice. They are doing their job, which should be respected”.

If the Tribunal turns down Araujo’s appeal, not only will he cease bring mayor, but he will be barred from running in the elections scheduled for 10 October.

Turning to the Renamo election campaign Araujo said that one of its key elements is the development of the local economy, since “the economy is the basis of development of any society. We want a favourable business environment”.

The campaign also stresses the need for infrastructure to ensure the mobility of people and goods, and the impact of climate change. “When we build a school, a hospital or other facilities, we have to take into account that climate change may affect them”, said Araujo.

The MDM’s replacement mayoral candidate, Rogerio Warowaro stressed that the electorate should vote for his party to continue the improvements that the MDM has brought to Quelimane. He promised that the MDM will expand the water supply and electricity networks in the outlying neighbourhoods of the city.

Warowaro surprised reporters by appearing without his characteristic dreadlocks. He had discarded the rasta look for a more orthodox hair style. MDM members had asked him to dispense with the dreadlocks for fear that they might alienate voters.

“I decided to present myself to the electorate with a new look in response to the good will of citizens committed to the government agenda of the MDM, which is the fruit of hard and participatory work”, he said.

The candidate of the ruling Frelimo Party, Carlos Carneiro, who is currently Administrator of Quelimane district, claimed that he has solutions to the city’s sanitation problems. Frelimo had identified solutions to the lack of landfills to dispose of Quelimane’s garbage, he said, and also promised to open public toilets.

Carneiro said that Quelimane’s mangrove forests are being devastated and he promised to restore them. “We shall offer resilience to the coastal part of the city”, he said.

He claimed that, under MDM rule, Quelimane had lost much of its attractiveness. “Let’s vote for Frelimo, because this is the party which will give back calm, harmony and well-being to the municipal citizens and those who visit us”, declared Carneiro.

The start to the Frelimo campaign was marred by a blatant violation of the clause in the electoral law which forbids the use of state assets in political party campaigns. A bus belonging to Quelimane Central Hospital was filmed carrying flag-waving supporters to the Frelimo campaign. The video of this abuse has spread across Mozambican social media.

Source: AIM