Mozambique: Frelimo takes over seven of Parliament’s nine working Commissions

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Mozambique: Frelimo takes over seven of Parliament’s nine working Commissions

1:16 CAT | 25 Feb 2020

Photo: O País

The election of deputies to parliamentary working commissions was by no means consensual among the three benches that make up the Mozambican parliament, namely Frelimo, Renamo and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique.

The opposition benches were dissatisfied with the process, essentially, because they called for the “fair inclusion” of their deputies in the working commissions and fair distribution of the chairmanship posts.

The parliamentary session scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. last Friday only started in the afternoon, after long hours of discussion in the Standing Commission.

The criterion of parliamentary proportionality was used by Frelimo to reduce the opposition’s claim to inclusion, and Frelimo will head seven of the nine standing commissions the other two to be chaired by Renamo.

The Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), which in the last legislature directed the Ethics Commission, will not chair any, while Renamo lost the leadership of the Defence and Public Order Commission, which it had held for years.

Parliament’s working commissions have the function assess matters, issue opinions, discuss and vote on propositions, present proposals, carry out inquiries, hold public hearings with civil society entities, summon political agents, request statements and ask for written information, receive petitions, complaints or complaints from citizens against an act or omission minutes of authority or public entity, and monitor and exercise the supervision of the activities of the executive branch.

António do Rosário Bernardino Boene, lawyer and member of the so-called G40, replaces Edson da Graça Francisco Macuácua, curiously one of the mentors of this Frelimo party shock group, in the important Commission on Constitutional Affairs, Human Rights and Legality. Osório Soto is the vice-president of the First Commission, which has Renamo deputy José Manteigas as rapporteur.

After long hours of debate, with Frelimo wanting to violate even the “Casa do Povo” regimen, MDM deputy for Zambézia, Elias Gilberto Impuiri, was integrated into the Commission on Constitutional Affairs, Human Rights and Legality.

António Rosário Niquice rose from Rapporteur of the Commission on International Relations, Cooperation and Communities to the chair of the important Planning and Budget Commission, where he succeeds Eneas Comiche and Esperança Bias. Cernilde de Mendonça is deputy chair, and Renamo MP José Manuel Samu Gudo rapporteur.

The MDM’s Fernando Bismarque Ali ended up renewing his tenure in the second commission of the Assembly of the Republic.

Renamo remains head of Petitions and Complaints and Parliamentary Ethics Commissions

Deputy Lúcia Pedro Mafuiane was elected chairperson of the Commission on Social Affairs, Gender and Technologies and Social Communication, with Manuel Vasconcelos Estrela Manuel Maria deputy chair and Renamo’s Maria Angelina Dique Enoque rapporteur of the third committee.

Deputy Francisco Ussene Mucanheia, who chaired the Agriculture, Economy and Environment Commission during the past legislature, was elected to chair the Commission for Public Administration and Local Power. Deputy Maria do Céu Nhantumbo was elected deputy chair of the fourth committee and Renamo MP António Pedro Muchanga Rapporteur.

Presiding over the Agriculture, Economy and Environment Commission, deputy Momade Arnaldo Juízo has Manuel Remessane as deputy chair, while Renamo MP Alfredo Tomás Magumisse was elected rapporteur of the fifth committee.

The Defence, Security and Public Order Commission previously chaired by Renamo party deputy Jercnimo Malagueta is now headed by Frelimo party deputy Raimundo Maico Diomba. Deolinda Chochoma is the deputy chair while Renamo’s former general MP Hermínio Morais was elected rapporteur.

The seventh commission is also no longer chaired by the Renamo party, Catarina Mário Dimande, former adviser to President Filipe Nyusi and daughter-in-law of General Alberto Chipande, being appointed chair of the Commission on International Relations, Cooperation and Communities, with Luciano André de Castro as vice chair and Renamo MP Leopoldo Alfredo Ernesto as rapporteur.

The deputy elected by Renamo in the Electoral Circle of the Province of Cabo Delgado, Álvaro António Faquira Caul, was elected chair of the Commission on Petitions and Complaints, a post previously held by the now chief whip of the largest opposition party Viana Magalhães. Isequiel Molde Gusse is the deputy chair and Gildo Fortunato Elias Muaga the rapporteur of the eighth commission.

The Renamo party also holds the presidency of the Parliamentary Ethics Commission, the deputy elected in the Electoral Circle of the Province of Nampula Abida Abá occupying the position held by Silvério Ronguane of the MDM during the past legislature.

Maria Ivone Soares Rensamo Bernardo, a former powerful chief whip of the largest opposition party and niece of the late Afonso Dhlkama, is the deputy chair of the ninth commission, whose rapporteur is Frelimo MP Vasco David Gaspar.

Standing Commission

As for the AR Standing Commission, the parliamentary benches, following the principle of parliamentary proportionality, indicated as members Sérgio Pantie, Viana Magalhães, Lutero Simango, Lucinda Malema, Ana Rita Sitole, Ana Dimitre, António José Amélia, Alves Zita, Telmina Parreira, Alberto Nancuta, Carlos Sebastião, André Magibire, Lúcia Afate and Hermínio Morais. These join the president of the Assembly of the Republic and the two vice-presidents.

It should be noted that the Standing Commission has, among others, the mission of coordinating the activities of the working committees, parliamentary offices, national groups and friendship leagues.

Deputies Conceita Sortane, Carlos Moreira Vasco, Chrispen Matches, Alsace Chochoma Sartinha, Gania Mussagy and Francisco Maigue were elected to the Board of Directors of the Assembly of the Republic.

Source: Carta de Moçambique / A Verdade