Mozambique Elections: MDM runs to win, calls for massive voter turnout against fraud

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique Elections: MDM runs to win, calls for massive voter turnout against fraud

6:23 CAT | 12 Aug 2024

Photo: Lusa

The leader of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), candidate for President of the Republic Lutero Simango, has told Lusa that the party is running in the general elections in October to win, ruling out the possibility of losing seats in parliament.

“Our main objective is to win the elections so that we can have the democratic legitimacy to govern Mozambique in the next five years,” Lutero Simango said in an interview with Lusa.

With the MDM holding only six seats in the current legislature in the Mozambican parliament, which has 250 seats, after having won eight seats in the year of its foundation (2009), and 17 in the general elections of 2014, Simango ruled out the possibility of losing seats in the next general elections, arguing that the third largest party is growing.

“They said that the MDM was dead, but we are here. In the last elections, they also said the same thing, but we are here. They said that the MDM would lose Beira [in the local elections], but we continue to govern Beira,” said the 64-year-old politician, who is also running for President of the Republic for the first time, with the support of the party he leads.

Simango considered the predictions about the party’s disappearance from parliament in the next election to be “orders from some commentators” and stressed that the MDM has never resorted to arms to impose itself on the national political scene, alluding to the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the ruling party) and the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo, the main opposition party).

“Our existence is due to our political strategy and our commitment to serving Mozambicans. The MDM has never used blackmail to impose itself,” Simango stressed.

Regarding what distinguishes the MDM manifesto from other political forces, Simango pointed to the renegotiation plan between a possible MDM government – the head of state in Mozambique also coordinates the executive – and the multinationals that exploit natural resources, so that the country will have more revenue.

He also proposes cutting the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate from 16% to 14% and the creation of a Court of Auditors to monitor public accounts, as the party’s main measures in these elections.

The MDM also intends to eliminate the appointment of heads of justice bodies and judges by the country’s parliament, with the choice being made by peers.

The third largest party, he continued, also wants to change the situation in agriculture, education and health, through policies that improve the outlook in these sectors.

Lutero Simango also highlighted the importance of depoliticizing State institutions, giving priority to meritocracy.

“We live in Mozambique. We know the problems in Mozambique. We have concrete proposals to solve the problems and that is why we talk about reforms,” said Simango.

Describing his party as having “clean hands”, he said the fight against corruption would also be a priority for the MDM.

Massive voting against fraud

Lutero Simango also called for mass voting and sensitivity of the electorate in the general elections of October 9, against possible fraud.

“We must all vote, including those who are in the diaspora. We must vote, because, with a massive turnout of voters, it is difficult to commit fraud. With a massive vote, it is difficult to manipulate the results,” Simango said in an interview with Lusa.

Simango, one of the four candidates running to succeed Filipe Nyusi as President of the Republic, argued that the “maturity” demonstrated by the Mozambican electorate in the local elections of October 11, 2023 – denounced by several entities as irregular – can also help to prevent attempts to rig the next vote.

“There is significant maturity among our people here. Our people want change,” the candidate and president of the MDM reinforced.

Lutero Simango admitted that he does not have “absolute confidence” in the Mozambican electoral bodies, claiming that they are controlled by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the ruling party).

“There is no absolute confidence” as long as the ruling party dominates the state institutions, including the judicial system, he stressed.

Electoral conflicts can only be resolved with reforms in public institutions, the politician argued.

Mozambique will hold presidential, legislative and provincial elections on October 9.

Source: Lusa