Frelimo Central Committee elects its secretariat

Maputo, 6 Apr (AIM) – The Central Committee of Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo Party on Saturday elected four new members to its secretariat.

The best known of these members is Celmira da Silva who is a former deputy minister of land, environment and rural development, and a former governor of the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Goncalves Jemusse is the Frelimo First Secretary in the central province of Tete, while Pedro Guiliche is Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the Pungue University. The fourth member, Nelson Muianga is a prominent businessman in the construction industry.

They join General Secretary Chakil Aboobakar, who was elected at a previous Central Committee meeting last month. The division of portfolios between the members of the secretariat has not yet been announced.

Although it has the power to change the composition of the party’s Political Commission, the Central Committee left the Commission entirely unchanged.

Closing the Central Committee meeting, President Daniel Chapo, demanded “a more dynamic and efficient” secretariat that can rise to the challenges Mozambique is facing.

Each member of the new secetariat, he said, will be assessed regularly. They should work on a communication strategy “to better guarantee the legitimacy of the party among Mozambicans, particularly among the youth”.

Chapo claimed the meeting had successfully “reaffirmed the nature of a party of transformations that maintains ideals of freedom, peace, democracy and human rights”.

He again claimed that the protests which shook the country last year after the announcement of general election results widely regarded as fraudulent, in reality had little to do with the elections.

He believed the protests and rioting had been planned long before the elections with the purpose of destabilising the country and wrecking its economy.

Chapo stressed that Frelimo’s commitment to peace is “unshakeable”. Hence, “we are continuing to bank on inclusive dialogue with the political parties and with all living forces in Mozambique, so that peace may become a reality”.

“There is no individual or group interest which should be posed against the highest interest of Mozambicans to live in peace and harmony, united as brothers in a single force”, he stressed.

As for the islamist terrorism affecting parts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado, Chapo stressed that this is a national challenge which the government will continue to combat vigorously, just as it will also fight against the Naparama peasant militia, corruption and all forms of organised crime, including kidnapping, drug trafficking and money laundering.
(AIM)
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