Nyusi invites presidential candidates for dialogue

Maputo, 20 Nov (AIM) – Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Tuesday night invited all the politicians who stood in the 9 October presidential elections for a dialogue to seek solutions to the current post-election crisis.

Nyusi issued the invitation during a televised address to the nation. “I would like to take this opportunity to invite all four candidates to accept my appeal for a meeting so that together we can assess the situation and find a solution that benefits Mozambicans”, he said.

He stressed that Mozambicans have a long experience in seeking solutions based on consensus. “The country needs all of us. Our people need us”, he declares. “There is no problem that cannot be solved by Mozambicans. All problems can be solved through mutual understanding and the search for consensus”.

“You can be sure that during all this time, we never stopped working to reverse the situation”, Nyusi told his audience. “We will never stop defending the rights of citizens”.

He claimed that, in recent days, the number of violent demonstrations, called initially to protest against fraud during the elections has been declining, although “fear and hatred” still prevailed among the public.

Nyusi said that, despite the continuing calls for general strikes, most Mozambicans have resumed their normal daily activities.

“We have to be together to solve our problems”, he urged. “Let us also free ourselves of egoism, because it is not through egoism that we can solve this problem”.

Nyusi did not specifically criticise the police for their indiscriminate use of force against unarmed demonstrators. But he did say that “force must only be used in extreme situations, to protect lives”.

The four candidates who stood in the presidential election were Daniel Chapo, of the ruling Frelimo Party, Venancio Mondlane, who was backed by the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), Ossufo Momade, leader of what used to be the main opposition party, Renamo, and Lutero Simango, of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).

According to the preliminary results announced on 24 October by the National Elections Commission (CNE), Chapo won an overwhelming victory, with 70.67 per cent of the vote, followed by Mondlane (20.32 per cent), Momade (5.81 per cent) and Simango (3.2 per cent).

But the CNE’s results are widely regarded as massively fraudulent, with evidence of ballot box stuffing, multiple voting, denial of the rights of political party monitors and other electoral crimes.

Mondlane reacted by calling for mass demonstrations “to recover the truth about the elections”.

Mondlane has now gone into exile, and his whereabouts are unknown. There are reports that he has taken refuge in Europe, but it would seem more likely that he is somewhere in South Africa.

Warrants are out for Mondlane’s arrest on multiple charges, including incitement to violence, and conspiracy to commit crimes against state security. This makes Mondlane’s participation in the dialogue proposed by Nyusi problematic, since as soon as he sets foot on Mozambican soil, he is likely to be arrested.

One piece of good news for the government is that Mondlane is not calling for further mass street demonstrations. On Tuesday, in a live broadcast transmitted on his Facebook page, he said that what he calls “the second moment of the fourth phase” of the demonstrations should consist of three days of national mourning, in memory of the dozens who have died during police repression of the demonstrations.

He called on mourners to wear a piece of black clothing, but otherwise undertake their activities normally – except that anyone driving a car should stop and sound their horns. Those who do not own cars (the great majority of Mozambicans) should wave placards demanding “the truth about the elections”.

If every car owner stops his vehicle in the middle of the road for 15 minutes, as Mondlane urged, that might create enormous and dangerous traffic jams.

Mondlane also disagreed with the demand, made on Monday by Ossufo Momade, for the elections to be annulled. Instead, he wanted the votes recounted, which he was sure would result in his victory.

Any recount must be ordered by the Constitutional Council, the country’s highest body in matters of electoral law.
(AIM)
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