The Mozambican head of state has invited the candidates for the October presidential elections to a meeting on 26 November to "discuss the country's situation in the post-election period", sources from the candidates confirmed to Lusa.
The meeting will take place in Filipe Nyusi's office in Maputo on Tuesday at 4pm (2pm in Lisbon), according to the same sources, and will involve candidates Daniel Chapo, Venâncio Mondlane, Lutero Simango and Ossufo Momade.
On Tuesday, the Mozambican president invited the four presidential candidates to a meeting, including Venâncio Mondlane, and said that violent post-election demonstrations are causing chaos and that "spreading fear in the streets" is weakening the country.
"I promise that, until the last day of my term, I will use all my energy to pacify Mozambique (...). But for me to be successful in this mission, we need all of us and each one of you (...). Mozambicans must come together to solve the problems", said Nyusi, in a message to the nation.
Calling for "liberation from selfishness" in the post-electoral process, the head of state, whose term ends in January, assured that the government is open to finding "a solution" for the current situation, marked by strikes and demonstrations called by Venâncio Mondlane.
"We also need the different candidates for President of the Republic. We need the involvement of Lutero Simango, Daniel Chapo, Venâncio Mondlane and Ossufo Momade. We need the involvement of their collaborators and supporters", said Nyusi.
Mondlane announced on Thursday, before the date of the meeting was publicly announced, that he could accept the meeting.
"I, Venâncio Mondlane, the winning candidate in the 2024 presidential elections, unreservedly accept this dialogue, I accept this roundtable (...). But this dialogue, like any dialogue, like any negotiation, like any type of institutional meeting, must have an agenda", announced the presidential candidate, in a broadcast on the social network Facebook.
In order "not to go to the meeting in a vacuum, without any agenda", he announced that he would submit in the early hours of today, to the office of the Presidency of the Republic, a letter with a proposal that he described as supported by the contributions of Mozambicans on the steps to follow in the process of contesting the announced results of the general elections of October 9, summarized in around 20 points that he will present publicly and that "represent the aspirations of the Mozambican people".
"Forty thousand people wrote [e-mails] to me and everything is summarized in the letter that will be submitted to the Presidency of the Republic", said Mondlane.
"Mozambique's sovereignty lies with the people, so it is the people who determine what the agenda of this dialogue should be," he stressed.
The candidate, who does not accept the results announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), which still have to be validated by the Constitutional Council, pointing out several irregularities in the electoral process, rejects a dialogue "behind closed doors" and with "little secrets".
"Open dialogues, in which the press has access, in which civil society has access, in which international mediators have access. We are going to make history," added the candidate.
Mondlane claims to be outside Mozambique for security reasons, and is currently the target of several legal proceedings initiated by the Public Prosecutor's Office, including conspiracy to commit a coup d'état.
Mondlane disputes the awarding of victory to Daniel Chapo, a candidate supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power), with 70.67% of the votes, according to the results announced on October 24 by the CNE.
No comments:
Post a Comment