Mozambique Elections: EU to send observers to October elections
Photo: O País
Former Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano revealed on Wednesday that Mozambique had discovered the weaknesses of the socialist bloc soon after independence, which is why it opted to approach its capitalist allies.
Chissano was speaking in yet another debate on the Constitution of the Republic’s 45-year history, promoted by the Constitutional Council. For the former statesman, the approach to the West, and in particular to the United States and Britain, was one of the changes that preceded the country’s economic and constitutional reforms.
“Socialist countries thought they were able to help newly independent countries to develop or consolidate their independence, but that was not supported by the facts. There was a visit to the Soviet Union in 1983, where it was discovered that there were many problems,” Chissano said.
The former Mozambican statesman, who served as president from 1986 to 2005, also revealed that there was a failed attempt to involve Renamo in the first constitutional reforms.
“We thought at first that there would be minor constitutional amendments, but then there was a need to involve everyone. We also tried to secure the opposition’s opinions, including Renamo, but there were difficulties in processing the proposals. It was about looking into all the Constitution’s proposals, including the kind of democracy,” Chissano explained.
According to the successor of Samora Machel, the Inkomati Agreement – the non-aggression treaty agreed with the apartheid regime in neighbouring South Africa – was also one of the antecedents inspiring democracy and a multi-party settlement.
“The first negotiations with Renamo started with the Inkomati Agreement, but they failed because there was no confidence in Pretoria,” he said.
Chissano’s Lectio Magistralis was preceded by interventions from first president of the Constitutional Council, Rui Baltazar, and veteran of the national liberation struggle, Óscar Monteiro.
By Edson Arante
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