Ending demonstrations depends on acknowledging popular will

Maputo, 4 Nov (AIM) – Albino Forquilha, the leader of the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), claims that the end of the current post-electoral crisis characterized by mass demonstrations throughout the country lies the acknowledgement of the popular will expressed at the ballot box.

Podemos is the party that backed the presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane in the elections held on 9 October.

In order to protest against the allegedly fraudulent results announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), giving victory to the ruling Frelimo party and its candidate, Daniel Chapo, Mondlane has been calling for mass demonstrations since 21 October in order to demand “electoral truth.”

According to Forquilha, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, in Maputo, “the current political crisis lies first in identifying the problem, which lies in the denial of democracy and electoral fraud.”

“It is necessary for the Constitutional Council, the highest body in matters of electoral law, to compare the documents handed in by the political parties”, he said. “If it is impossible to arrive at the electoral truth, there is a need to carry out a forensic audit of the elections, in which those responsible for the fraud must be clearly held accountable”.

He opposed simply annulling the elections, as has been demanded by other opposition parties, notably Renamo. The results announced by the CNE, he said, should not be invalidated without logical reasons and those responsible for the electoral fraud must be held responsible.

Forquilha accuses the government and the Frelimo party of being responsible for the electoral fraud and he calls for genuine dialogue between strategic players, including the political parties.

“The conditions for dialogue are not yet in place, since the criminal cases against Venâncio Mondlane have not yet been extinguished and the candidate has not been given the security guarantees he needs to return to the country”, he said.
(AIM)
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