Maputo, 9 Mar (AIM) – The Maputo City Court, in a dispatch dated last Wednesday, has suspended all decisions taken by Ossufo Momade, leader of Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, since 17 January.
According to a report carried by the independent television station STV, the court decision also covers decisions taken by other Renamo bodies over the past six weeks.
The court has thus granted the injunction requested by Venancio Mondlane, the Renamo candidate for mayor of Maputo in last year’s municipal elections.
Mondlane had asked the court to suspend all decisions taken by the Renamo leadership since 17 January, when its term of office expired – and, in this ruling, the Maputo court agreed that Momade has lost his legitimacy.
Momade was elected President of Renamo at a Congress held in January 2019. Under the Renamo statutes, the party should hold a Congress to elect its leadership every five years. But no Congress has been convened for 2024, and the term of office of Momade expired on 17 January.
Venancio Mondlane has announced his intention of competing against Momade for the Renamo leadership. Should Mondlane win, he is almost certain to become the Renamo candidate in the presidential election scheduled for 9 October.
Since Momade showed no sign of calling the Congress, as required under the statutes, Mondlane went to court to force his hand, and was successful.
The court ruling cancels the decisions taken by Momade since January. These include the dismissal of Renamo provincial delegates in eight provinces, and the appointment of new ones, and the dismissal of the head of the Renamo election office.
The court thought it illegitimate for Renamo bodies, whose term of office had expired almost two months ago, to continue to appoint and dismiss party officials.
Renamo has not yet decided whether it will appeal against the court’s ruling.
(AIM)
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