Mozambique Elections: PGR's response shows that institutions "don't work" - Renamo
Picture: Sala da Paz
Mozambique’s main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, on Friday deposited the nomination papers for its parliamentary candidates with the National Elections Commission (CNE).
Renamo thus became the first of the three main parties to deliver the paperwork for their candidates.
Giving a press conference immediately afterwards, the Renamo General Secretary, Andre Magibire, urged the CNE and its executive body, the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), not to accept nominations for the provincial assemblies from people who are not resident in the province.
A condition for anyone to run for membership of a provincial assembly is that he or she must have registered as a voter in that province. Clearly Renamo suspects that this provision is not being respected.
Magibire feared that cases might arise of citizens “who registered as voters in one province, but are trying to stand as assembly candidates in another”.
Asked about the Renamo dissidents who call themselves the “Renamo Military Junta” and have threatened to overthrow Renamo leader Ossufo Momade, Magibire was sure that the situation would be surpassed “in an intelligent manner”, and that achieving a definitive peace was in Renamo’s interest.
“We and all the Mozambican people are committed to definitive peace”, he insisted. “We will know how to overcome anything which attempts to besmirch the process”.
Renamo is optimistic – Mondlane
The Renamo national election agent, Venancio Mondlane, said that despite the gross exaggeration of the number of registered voters in the southern province of Gaza, Renamo is optimistic that it can achieve good results there.
“There’s a major growth in the opposition in Gaza”, he said, pointing to the municipal assembly in the provincial capital, Xai-Xai, where eight opposition members were elected in last year’s municipal election, even though this has a reputation as a stronghold of the ruling Frelimo Party.
There is now “a very strong civic awareness” among people in Gaza, said Mondlane, and so Renamo expects to win a good number of parliamentary seats in the province. In the last four parliamentary elections in Gaza, Renamo did not win a single seat.
He added that for as long as the question of the impossibly high numbers for the Gaza voter registration is not solved, Renamo will continue to use all legal means to correct the situation.
“Renamo is decided to restore peace, and so we are the first and only party in Mozambique which presented an appeal against the voter registration results to the Constitutional Council”, he said. “We shall explore all legal means to ensure that our claims are solved”.
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