Despite a demonstration by the Renamo parliamentary group, the Frelimo majority in parliament this morning (Wednesday 29 March) passed an amendment to the Electoral Law, which reduces from 18 to 15 months the deadline for fixing the date of the general elections in October next year.

Renamo demonstrated inside the parliament building against the alleged political orientation of the Frelimo leadership and its unilateral approval of the amendment to the Electoral Law, and then walked out. According to the Renamo group, Frelimo appeared this morning with a bill which was accepted, but when Renamo presented a similar bill in February it was promptly rejected by Frelimo members of the parliamentary Standing Commission.

"We submitted a draft bill here which Frelimo rejected in this House [in February]; unfortunately it was thrown out [by Frelimo]. Today, we are facing a bill from one parliamentary group, which once again intends to violate democratic principles. So what are the criteria? The other parliamentary group brings the same bill and it must be debated", said Viana Magalhães, head of the Renamo group.

Renamo says it is facing a risk of a return to dictatorship, and accuses Frelimo of considering itself equivalent to the law, the constitution and the parliamentary standing orders.

The Renamo bill was to set the structure for district elections next year, as required by earlier constitutional amendments agreed with the late Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama. The Frelimo amendment simply delays the setting of the date for general elections in October next year.

The three week delay is to gain more time until the Constitution allows Frelimo to amend it to eliminate district elections without needing any votes from the opposition. At present, Frelimo would need three quarters of the deputies which, without any votes from the opposition, would not be possible. But once five years have passed since the previous amendments to the Constitution came into effect (as from 12 June 2023), Frelimo can amend it without opposition votes, using a 2/3 majority rather than 3/4 of the deputies (see details in Bulletin 40).

The MDM says that trying to delay the elections is a serious violation of the constitution. Frelimo, through its spokesperson, Feliz Silva, states that the Renamo demonstration is an exercise in democracy, and that Frelimo is calm. "Our desire was not to amend the Constitution on our own", said Silva.