Mozambique: The first meeting of the new Council of State has been cancelled

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Mozambique: The first meeting of the new Council of State has been cancelled

4:06 CAT | 23 Jun 2025

Image via Venâncio Mondlane / Facebook

The first meeting of the Mozambican State Council of this term, scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday), has been cancelled, with no new date set, according to a letter released today by politician Venâncio Mondlane, who will be one of the councillors.

According to the letter released by Mondlane on his official Facebook account, the State Council meeting “has been cancelled” for “agenda reasons” and will be held on a “date to be announced”.

The Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo, has scheduled the first meeting of the State Council of the current term for 24 June, according to a notice also released earlier by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who was also invited, but who did not confirm whether he would participate.

According to the initial notice, the meeting’s agenda included information on the celebrations of Mozambique’s 50th anniversary of independence on 25 June, on the functioning of the Council of State and the presentation of its members.

READ: Mozambique: Venâncio Mondlane invited to Council of State; first meeting to be held on Tuesday, 24 June – AIM

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Mondlane, who does not recognise the results of the general elections held on 9 October, was the second most voted presidential candidate, and therefore, as provided for in the Constitution, has a seat on the Council of State.

The politician said on Thursday that his seat “is not a debatable issue” and “does not depend on anyone”, adding that he is considering whether he will take it: “It is not a free lunch, therefore, it is not a gesture of generosity, it is because the Constitution of the Republic gives me this right”.

The Mozambican Constitution defines the Council of State as a “political body for consultation with the President”, who presides over it, and includes by right the President of the Assembly of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the President of the Constitutional Council, the Ombudsman, former Presidents of the Republic and former Speakers of Parliament.

“The members of the Council of State shall enjoy privileges, immunities and protocolary treatment to be established by law”, the Constitution also establishes.

The Council of State is responsible for “advising the President (…) whenever he so requests”, but also for “obligatory pronouncements” on the dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic, declaration of war, state of siege or state of emergency, holding of referendums, calling of general elections and dismissal of provincial governors and district administrators.

READ: Mozambique: President appoints Frelimo stalwarts to Council of State, Defence Council

According to article 163 of the Constitution, the Council of State must be made up of “seven individuals of recognised merit elected by the Assembly of the Republic for the term of the legislature, in accordance with parliamentary representation”, as well as “four individuals of recognised merit appointed by the President of the Republic for the term of his mandate” and “the second most voted candidate for the position of President”.

On 16 June, the Mozambican President appointed Alberto Chipande, Graça Machel, Eduardo Nihia and Felizarda Paulino, all long-time members of the ruling party (Frelimo), to the Council of State.

In late May, the leaders of the three Mozambican opposition parties with seats in parliament, Albino Forquilha (Podemos), Ossufo Momade (Renamo) and Lutero Simango (MDM) were elected by parliament, along with four other citizens, to serve on the Council of State for the 2025-2029 legislature.

Mondlane led the worst challenge to the election results since the first multi-party elections (1994), with protests in which around 400 people lost their lives due to clashes with the police, which also resulted in looting and destruction of businesses and public infrastructure.

On March 5, Mozambican parties signed a political agreement with the President of Mozambique, aimed at state reforms, which was later transformed into law by parliament.

On March 23, Mondlane and Chapo met for the first time and committed to ending post-election violence, and met again on May 21 with an agenda to bring peace to the country.

Source: Lusa