Chapo appointed Frelimo general secretary

Maputo, 14 May (AIM) – The Political Commission of Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo Party on Monday appointed Daniel Chapo, the governor of the southern province of Inhambane, as the party’s general secretary, on an interim basis.

Chapo is already the Frelimo candidate for the presidential election scheduled for 9 October.

The party’s Central Committee elected him as the party’s candidate during a three day meeting held on 3-5 May, at which he defeated the man who was widely expected to win, the party’s then general secretary, Roque Silva.

Silva’s reaction to his defeat was to resign as general secretary, which also meant that he lost his seat on the Political Commission.

The Political Commission has now filled the gap in the party’s administrative structure by appointing Chapo interim general secretary, a post he will hold until the next meeting of the Central Committee, which will appoint a definitive replacement for Silva. No date for the Central Committee meeting has yet been set.

From Chapo’s point of view, the advantage of his new appointment is that it places him at the heart of the Frelimo machinery in the run-up to the presidential election campaign.

The Political Commission also took the opportunity of its Monday meeting to urge Frelimo members and sympathisers to show “the spirit of unity”.

(AIM)

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