Maputo — The new chairperson of Mozambique's National Elections Commission (CNE), Rev Arao Litsuri, has promised that he will seek "the greatest consensus possible".
Interviewed in Friday's issue of the daily paper "Noticias", Lisuri, who is a Lutheran pastor, and chairman of the Mozambican Christian Council (CCM), said "I will start with those things where there is common agreement, and little by little move forward. Certainly there will be times when there is no agreement, but my desire is to cultivate the spirit of consensus".
Asked how he would reconcile his religious and his political missions, Litsuri said he saw himself, not as someone wielding political power, but as "a facilitator".
"I am part of civil society, they (the other 18 CNE members) are from the political parties, and all the discussions between them will take place under my facilitation", he said.
Litsuri has been regarded as the candidate of the ruling Frelimo Party, and was elected with the votes of the ten Frelimo nominees on the CNE, while the eight members appointed by the opposition voted against him. Did this not make him feel uncomfortable ?
"It's uncomfortable, but also understandable", Litsuri replied. "Anyone who reads Mozambican politics properly will know that whoever was elected would be associated with some of the parties. For me, that's not what is important. What is important is what we do from now on".
He pledged to work in an impartial manner, and to make himself available to listen to the concerns of all political parties. "I need to win the trust of all the parties", Litsuri stressed.
He also wanted to develop a constructive relationship with the media. "For me, the press is very important", he said. "It can throw someone down, just as much as it can build him up. My hope is that the press will contribute constructively to what we are trying to do".
Litsuri revealed that, after he was elected on Monday, the runner-up, Alice Mabota, chairperson of the Human Rights League (LDH), rang him up to wish him good luck. "It's exactly this spirit which should guide us", he said.
He hoped the other defeated candidates would also offer their support - just as he would have promised them his support, had they won.
