Renamo arguments against injunction “neither plausible nor credible”

Maputo, 18 Mar (AIM) – The candidate for Mayor of Maputo for Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, in last year’s municipal elections, Venancio Mondlane, has dismissed as “neither plausible nor credible” the arguments of the Renamo leadership against the injunction he brought to the Maputo City Law Court.

Mondlane went to court to stop Renamo leader Ossufo Momade from sacking provincial and district Renamo delegates, on the grounds that his term of office has expired.

Momade was elected President of Renamo at a Congress held in January 2019. The Renamo statutes state that the Congress should be held every five years – so there should have been another Renamo congress in January of this year.

But none was held, and the term of office of Momade expired on 17 January. Mondlane argues that all decisions taken by Momade since that date should be regarded as null and void.

It seems that the Maputo court agreed with him. For in a dispatch dated 7 March, the court suspended all decisions taken by Momade since 17 January.

The Renamo leadership is now appealing against this decision, and Momade himself was questioned by the court last week.

Renamo lawyer Saimone Macuiana told the court on Friday that decisions taken by Momade are valid because Article 107 of the Renamo statutes says that members remain in office until a new leadership is elected and sworn in.

This seems to contradict article 1, which states that the term of office of Renamo leaders lasts for five years. Macuiana was thus claiming that article 107 creates an exception to the five year rule.

Mondlane, cited in Monday’s issue of the independent newssheet” “Mediafax” found this a feeble argument. Any exception would require a substantial justification, and Macuiana had not given one.

The Renamo leadership is also claiming that the party does not have the money required to organize a Congress. Mondlane said it is not enough to lament lack of money – it had to be proved in court.

“Money? You have to understand that, in a courtroom, everything requires proof”, stressed Mondlane. “The party’s bankruptcy or lack of liquidity has to be shown. This did not happen, and it’s not going to happen. So we are facing a justification that is neither plausible, nor acceptable”.

He found the claim that Renamo has no money to be incredible. He believed that a Congress would cost no more than three million meticais (about 47,000 US dollars, at the current exchange rate), and Renamo should have no difficulty raising this sum.

Thanks to its parliamentary group, Renamo receives a monthly subsidy from the state budget. It manages to pay for offices throughout the country, and was able to run an election campaign last year in the 65 municipalities.

Mondlane said the only thing the court should do is to confirm definitively its decision to stop Momade from sacking Renamo delegates and appointing new ones.

(AIM)

Pf/ (492)