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Political parties acknowledge consensus on Constitutional changes debate – Mozambique
12:40 CAT | 22 Mar 2018
File photo: Macauhub
The chief whips of the three parties with seats in the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique admitted there were consensus in the debate on the Constitutional amendments on decentralisation.
The heads of the three parties with seats in Mozambique’s Assembly of the Republic agreed on Wednesday to tere being some consensus in the debate on the speedy revision of the Constitution in favour of greater decentralisation. Speaking to journalists, on the sidelines of the plenary session of the assembly, the head of the Liberation Front of Mozambique (Frelimo), Margarida Talapa, said that it should be possible to “reach consensus”.
Talapa said that the understandings would “facilitate the work that the entire Mozambican people are waiting for this house to carry out, finally approving the Constitutional amendments”.
Ivone Soares, chief whip of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), said her party favours the appointment of district administrators by provincial governors and a clear delimitation between the powers of these and the future secretaries of state in the provinces.
“It would be desirable for this newly elected governor to have the power to appoint district administrators” in the provinces. Renamo is also pushing for “very clear and defined competencies [of the Governor] to avoid any kind of clash with any other figure who represents the state in the province [Secretary of State for the Province]”, she said.
The deputy whip of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), José Lobo, said that the chief whips of the three groups reached consensus on the election of mayors from the head of party list or group of citizens to municipal assemblies.
If the plenary session approves this method of appointing mayors, the possibility, contested by several political and civil society circles, for any member of the most voted list ending up being appointed mayor, is removed.
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“The steps that have been taken so far are positive. I hope the Mozambican people understand that the main factor is the attainment of peace,” Lobo stressed.
The proposal for an amendment of the Constitution on decentralisation was submitted in February by the Mozambican head of state, Filipe Nyusi, and is the result of agreements reached with the Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, in efforts to achieve peace in the country.
The document is currently under review by parliamentary committees and working commissions who will submit the results of their work to the plenary session for discussion and final approval. The proposal foresees that provincial governors and district administrators will no longer be appointed by the central power.
It is intended that the new model for electing mayors will apply to the October 10 municipal elections and to the election of governors in the 2019 general elections, while the new mechanism for choosing district administrators will be introduced in the 2024 general elections.
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Source: Lusa
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