SAMORA MACHEL JUNIOR “PRE-CANDIDATE” FOR FRELIMO
Maputo, 3 Apr (AIM) – Samora Machel Junior (“Samito”), the son of Mozambique’s first President, Samora Machel, has declared his intention of running for the presidency of the ruling Frelimo Party.
If he is successful, he will almost certainly become the Frelimo candidate in the presidential election scheduled for 9 October.
Machel has submitted a political manifesto to the Frelimo Central Committee, the body which must decide on who will succeed Filipe Nyusi as President of Frelimo.
The manifesto is published in this week’s issue of the independent paper “Savana”, and has been cited at length, repeatedly, in Wednesday’s news bulletins of the STV television station
Machel starts his manifesto by declaring that his Presidential ambition “is based on “the principles of the search for peace, respect for diversity and difference, the promotion of inclusion, equality and human dignity, and ensuring the economic growth of Mozambique to guarantee an environment favorable to economic and social development, with special attention to the creation of jobs for young people and assistance to those most in need”.
Machel said “my candidacy is aware that we are living through times of historic changes”, including the fact that “fewer and fewer of us can remember the days when we fought for our political independence”.
The younger generation “has access to knowledge and information about the world which we never dreamed of”.
The new challenge, Machel said, “is not only to develop Mozambique – it is to lead Mozambique to find the place to which it is entitled in the concert of nations”.
“Our diversity is our wealth”, stressed the manifesto, “but it can only be based on mutual respect for cultural, ethnic, regional and social differences, promoting inclusive policies which guarantee equality of opportunities for all citizens”.
“We must fight against regionalism, tribalism and localism, and promote national unity”, Machel stressed. “Mozambique is a diverse mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and people, but it is one and indivisible. It is the country of Mozambicans, grounded on a common history, on a heritage which belongs to all of us”.
Machel promised that, if elected, he will “work tirelessly to strengthen the foundations of our economy, by promoting responsible and sustainable measures that ensure long term stability and prosperity”.
He pledged to adopt “economic policies that stimulate the productive sector, job creation, local processing of raw materials and the industrialisation of the country”.
Frelimo was always “a party of masses”, said Machel. “It should represent the aspirations of the people. All Mozambicans must have access to the same opportunities. The land, the sea, the rivers, the mineral resources belong to Mozambicans and must be available for the common well-being”.
Independent Mozambique was historically linked to Frelimo and “there is no way to think about the country without thinking about Frelimo”, he stressed.
Machel promised to pay special attention to the organisation of Frelimo, and particularly to “internal reforms aimed at recognising justice and adapting to the historical moment and to technological advances”.
He pledged “to establish transparent mechanisms to ensure equitable representation, accountability and democratic participation. We will build a party structure that promotes inclusion and gives a voice to all members, strengthening the foundations of true democracy”.
“Let us together rescue the good name of the party, and value the efforts of the Armed Struggle for National Liberation”, Machel urged.
He warned that he intends to “combat the impunity of those who are not on the side of the law and of the people”. He intended to see “the culture of merit prevail over the culture of privilege”.
Machel declared that he would not rest “while there are fellow citizens who sleep without eating, and while our brothers suffer from the horrors of terrorism”.
He promised “to implement emergency policies to ensure everyone’s safety and promote social initiatives which ensure that nobody is left behind”.
So far. Machel is the only “pre-candidate”, and the only member of the current Central Committee who has declared his intention of standing for president. His manifesto makes it very likely that the question of the presidential succession will be discussed at the meeting of the Central Committee scheduled for Friday and Saturday, even though it was not on the official agenda.
In the 2018 municipal elections, Frelimo refused to support Machel’s bid to become mayor of Maputo. Instead, he was backed by a civil society body, the Youth Organization for the Development of Mozambique (Ajudem).
But the National Elections Commission (CNE) disqualified Ajudem on the grounds that its list of candidates did not have enough alternate members. The Constitutional Council, the country’s highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law, then rejected an appeal from Ajudem.
There was talk of the Frelimo leadership taking disciplinary action against Machel, but this came to nothing, and he was re-elected to the Central Committee at the Frelimo 12th Congress in 2022.
(AIM)
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