Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
28 October 2009
Maputo — Afonso Dhlakama, leader of Mozambique's main opposition party, Renamo, on Thursday denied he had ever said that, if he loses Wednesday's presidential election, then he will never stand for the post again.
Last Thursday, the Maputo daily paper "Noticias" quoted Dhlakama as telling an election rally in Domue, in the western province of Tete, not only that he would not run again in 2014, if he loses this time, but that if he breaks his word and does stand again, then people should not vote for him.
"Nobody said that. I'm still very young", the 55 year old Dhlakama told reporters after he had cast his vote at a polling station in a Maputo secondary school. "If Renamo wants, I can run another 45 times. It's an internal party question". (After these 45 elections, Dhlakama will be 280 years old).
He claimed that the "Noticias" journalist had not understood him correctly. What he really said, Dhlakama alleged, was that, if he wins the current elections and does not carry out his election promises, then the electorate "will have the right to throw me on the rubbish tip".
Asked if he would accept the results if they show that he and Renamo have lost, Dhlakama said he would accept any result, if it was "transparent".
In fact, Dhlakama was defeated in all three previous presidential elections, and never accepted defeat - just as his party has never accepted defeat in parliamentary or municipal elections. The pattern to date has been that, whenever results from the polling stations are announced over Radio Mozambique, within hours of the close of polls, Renamo shouts "fraud!"
He was, as in all previous elections, convinced that he had already won. "If this were in Europe, there is no doubt that I would now be drawing up my list of ministers", he declared - although not a single vote had yet been counted, and it was still over nine hours before the close of polls.
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