Mozambique: Post-election political dialogue keeps ignoring Venâncio Mondlane – Carta

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Mozambique: Post-election political dialogue keeps ignoring Venâncio Mondlane – Carta

12:41 CAT | 28 Jan 2025

From left to right: MDM leader Lutero Simango, ND leader Salomao Muchanga, President of Mozambique and Frelimo Secretary General Daniel Chapo, Podemos leader Albino Forquilha, and Renamo leader Ossufo Momade, [Photo: AIM]

It is increasingly clear that Venâncio António Bila Mondlane, the second most-voted-for candidate in the presidential elections of October 9, according to the calculations of the Constitutional Council, has no place in the ongoing political dialogue involving the head of state and the leaders of the three parties besides Frelimo with seats in parliament [plus one party which has no seats in parliament. the New Democracy party (ND)].

Twelve days after taking office as the fifth President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo met the presidents of Podemos, Renamo, MDM and Nova Democracia, respectively Albino Forquilha, Ossufo Momade, Lutero Simango and Salomão Muchanga.

Interestingly, Frelimo, which holds the contested majority in the Assembly of the Republic, did not appoint any representative, being implicitly represented by the head of state himself, who serves as secretary-general of that political party.

At the end of the meeting, Daniel Francisco Chapo told journalists that the meeting served to draw up the “terms of reference” that will guide the debates, which will lead the five to a consensus. “We have the terms of reference, to work on a document,” he assured.

According to the Head of State, this is a document “with concrete lines of what is intended for this consensus”. Such consensus will, in his view, ” lead us to improve many aspects that could lead to reforms,” including reforms in the electoral law, the decentralization process and in the Constitution of the Republic.

In his speech of just over four minutes, without the right to questions, Chapo did not mention Venâncio Mondlane as a potential group member. He only said that, after the consensus is reached by the five politicians, the matter would be taken to other “social strata”, such as civil society, the private sector, community leaders, religious leaders and journalists, so that they could participate.

It should be noted that Venâncio Mondlane, who claimed victory in the presidential elections on October 9, is the face of the largest popular uprising in the country’s history, in protest against the election results, which gave victory to Daniel Chapo and Frelimo, with more than 65% of the votes.

Since October 21, 2024, Mozambique has been immersed in a post-election crisis, marked by popular demonstrations called by Mondlane, resulting in the deaths of at least 300 people, most of them civilians shot by the police.

In an interview given to Portuguese television CNN Portugal, two days after taking office, Daniel Francisco Chapo said that he had not yet been contacted by the “mutual friend” mentioned by Venâncio Mondlane in an interview with the American newspaper New York Times. The statement made it clear that Chapo had not yet taken steps to speak with Venâncio Mondlane.

Venâncio Mondlane told the New York Times, quoted by Voice of America, that he was in contact with the head of state “through a mutual friend”, and expressed the hope that the new head of state “will negotiate a resolution to put an end to the political crisis”.

“I have also heard about these contacts, but this mutual friend has not contacted me yet,” Chapo told CNN Portugal, without clarifying what he would do if the “common friend” did not contact him. “However, I am absolutely certain that this mutual friend will contact me and from then on we will know what the message is and, based on that message, we will work to pacify the country.”

It should be recalled that in his inaugural speech, President of the Republic Daniel Francisco Chapo said that social harmony “cannot wait” and much less “the construction of consensus on the aspects that concern the Mozambican people”, so “the dialogue has already begun” and will not rest until “we have a united and cohesive country”. In fact, he stressed that “social and political stability is our top priority”.

Yesterday’s meeting was the third of the so-called inter-party platform, the first two of which were led by Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, when he was still head of state.

Venâncio Mondlane’s name was not mentioned in any of the meetings.

Source: Carta de Moçambique