Renamo breakaway supports Venancio Mondlane

Maputo, 24 Aug (AIM) – The “Democratic Revolution” (RD) party on Friday announced that it is supporting the independent candidate, Venancio Mondlane, in the presidential election scheduled for 9 October.

RD is a breakaway from the main opposition party, Renamo, and its leader, Vitano Caetano, claims he enjoy the support of former Renamo guerrillas.

RD follows another small extra-parliamentary party, Podemos (Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique) in declaring support for Mondlane.

Both RD and Podemos are standing candidates in all provincial constituencies in the October elections.

Mondlane had initially enjoyed support only from the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD),a grouping of six tiny extra-parliamentary parties. However, the National Elections Commission (CNE) disqualified CAD, on the grounds that it had not duly informed the Ministry of Justice of changes to its coalition pact.

Nonetheless, CAD continues to exist and to participate in Mondlane’s campaign.

CAD chairperson Manecas Daniel welcomed RD’s support for Mondlane, and predicted that other small parties would follow suit. He told reporters “they will appear publicly in press conferences explaining to Mozambicans why they want to see the young Venancio Mondlane in Ponta Vermelha (the presidential palace in Maputo)”.

Like Daniel, Caetano urged other parties to support the Mondlane campaign. He claimed that his support for Mondlane is in line with the ideals of the first two leaders of Renamo, Andre Matsangaissa and Afonso Dhlakama.

“A change in governance is an imperative necessity for us to bring political and economic independence”, declared Caetano. He was optimistic that a movement in support of Mondlane’s candidature will culminate in his election as President “and the consequent return of power to the Mozambican people”.

(AIM)

Pf/ (280)