Mozambique Elections: President criticises imposition of agenda to talk with Mondlane

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Mozambique Elections: President criticises imposition of agenda to talk with Mondlane

4:06 CAT | 04 Dec 2024

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]

The President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, today criticized impositions placed by Venâncio Mondlane for the meeting with the head of state and other presidential candidates, rejecting the creation of a unilateral agenda.

“We will evolve, but agendas for dialogue, for negotiations, as they want, cannot be created unilaterally. There is the first meeting in which people say what their concerns are, that is what creates the agenda, but if you are setting the agenda, that agenda is yours. Who can guarantee that the other person wants it?” asked the President of Mozambique during a reception for the rectors of Mozambican universities in the context of recent post-election tension in the country.

Filipe Nyusi argued that the previously scheduled meeting with the four presidential candidates aimed at hearing their concerns, a dialogue created to “get some ideas” in light of the demonstrations and strikes called by Venâncio Mondlane, who is contesting the election results.

“But there were agenda demands. (…) I invited the four presidential candidates, the format was four plus one. There were different thoughts, whether the format was better or not, but that is not what I am concerned about, because when there is dialogue there are many steps,” the head of state indicated, denying imposing any agenda and reiterating that each presidential candidate and political party had their own concerns.

“When we discuss our problems, we are repeaters (…) So we have to find a model at each moment, and not repeat models, which is why none of the guests came. Those who did needed this, but we ended up holding targeted meetings. I have already met with everyone individually and I am listening to the concerns of each one, which are not the same,” the head of state pointed out.

In the same speech, Filipe Nyusi called for an end to violence between protesters and police, also warning that “there are people” who have admitted to the Mozambican authorities that they are financing protests.

“There are people with money to distribute, some even stopped at police stations and confirmed that they are sharing food so that people can demonstrate. We are not prohibiting them from giving food, if there is this capacity to feed people, it would be good,” President Nyusi said.

On November 22, Venâncio Mondlane demanded the immediate elimination of the legal proceedings brought against him by the Mozambican Public Prosecutor’s Office, and his virtual participation as a condition for taking part in the meeting with the President of the Republic.

In the document submitted to the Presidency of the Republic and the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) containing terms of reference and proposed agenda, Mondlane made the meeting scheduled for Tuesday between the head of state and the four presidential candidates conditional on the “release of all those detained in connection with the demonstrations” he called, and then asked for “guarantees of political and legal security for actors and participants in the dialogue”.

On Monday, Mondlane called for a new phase of electoral protests lasting a week, starting today, in “all neighbourhoods” of Mozambique, with a stoppage of car traffic from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm local time

The announcement by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) of Mozambique on October 24 of the results of the October 9 elections, in which it attributed victory to Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo in the election for President of the Republic with 70.67% of the votes, sparked popular protests, called by Venâncio Mondlane, which have degenerated into violent clashes with the police, in which least 76 have died.

According to the CNE, Mondlane came in second place, with 20.32%, but he does not recognize the results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.

Source: Lusa