Mozambique Elections: Mondlane’s absence “dangerous”, says Momade – Watch

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique Elections: Mondlane’s absence “dangerous”, says Momade – Watch

11:05 CAT | 27 Nov 2024

Screen grab: Renamo Moçambique

The presidential candidates supported by the main Mozambican opposition parties yesterday questioned the absence of Venâncio Mondlane in the negotiations to end the post-election tension, with Renamo leader and presidential candidate Ossufo Momade considering it “dangerous” for the dialogue to take place without the politician, who is out of the country.

“If the three of us here meet [with the Mozambican president] we will not be discussing anything because he [Venâncio Mondlane] is the centre of the problem, because he was the one who called the demonstrations and his absence is dangerous,” Momade said during the meeting called by Filipe Nyusi to discuss the post-election situation.

The issue at hand is a series of demonstrations called by Mondlane that have culminated in clashes between the police and groups of protesters in different parts of the country, episodes that have already left dozens dead and injured, in addition to paralyzing several urban centres.

To end the conflict, Nyusi called a meeting of all four presidential candidates to discuss the situation, a meeting marked by the absence of Mondlane, who has been out of the country for over a month “for security reasons”. The meeting was attended by presidential candidates Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power), Ossufo Momade, supported by the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), and Lutero Simango, supported by the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM).

Among other aspects, Mondlane demands the immediate cessation of legal proceedings brought against him by the Mozambican Public Prosecutor’s Office, and his participation by virtual means as a condition for participating in the meeting.

“There is a need for the President of the Republic, as the nation’s highest magistrate, to do everything he can to ensure that he is in the country. But there is one thing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has proceedings against this citizen and something needs to be done to ensure that he is in the country,” Momade said at the meeting.

The concern about Mondlane’s absence from yesterday’s meeting was first raised by presidential candidate Lutero Simango, supported by the third Mozambican parliamentary force, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM).

“As everyone knows, four candidates should be here to allow this meeting to address the situation for the good of Mozambican society. I do not know what the justification is for the absence of the fourth candidate,” Simango said.

In response, the head of state stressed that Mondlane was not expelled from Mozambique, and that, if he knew where Mondlane was, Nyusi would even be willing to go and meet him.

“If he were in a known place, perhaps he would even suggest to this team, which is interested in resolving the problem, that we go and meet him there. It wouldn’t be a problem, but nobody knows where he is,” Nyusi said.

Daniel Chapo, supported by Frelimo, in power since independence (1975), declared that the political force to which he belongs is open to dialogue, congratulating the Mozambican head of state on his initiative.

“We thought we should be present at this dialogue, so that we could talk, to find a solution to the issues that have been raised here,” declared Daniel Chapo.

The wave of demonstrations in Mozambique has been called by Mondlane, who disputes the awarding of victory to Chapo in the presidential elections, with 70.67% of the votes, and, in the legislative elections, to Frelimo, which reinforced its absolute majority with 11 more deputies, totalling 195 of the 250 seats in parliament, according to the results announced on October 24 by the National Elections Commission (CNE).

The Constitutional Council (CC), the court of last instance in electoral disputes in Mozambique, stated on Monday that it was “working hard” to reach the “electoral truth” about the general elections in October, anticipating the proclamation of the final results around December 23.

Late this afternoon, after the meeting between President Nyusi and the three other candidates, Mondlane announced, from his still-undisclosed location, new measures for the next three days, asking Mozambicans to place electoral protest posters on their vehicles and leave them on the streets, starting at 8:00 a.m. this Wednesday.

Source: Lusa