Maputo — The Political Commission of Mozambique's ruling Frelimo Party on Wednesday failed to announce the promised list of pre-candidates for the 11 October municipal elections.
The Frelimo press office called a press conference at which the party's spokesperson, Ludmila Maguni, would speak after a meeting of the Political Commission called to discuss the pre-candidates.
The press conference was scheduled for 15.00, but only at 22.00 were the journalists told that the lists of pre-candidates would be announced by the party's provincial committees "in the coming days'.
"The process must go back to the provinces', said Maguni. "So it is the provinces who will be responsible for announcing the candidates who will compete in the elections'.
No further information was released. It is, however, known that the Political Commission should have discussed 195 names - short lists of three pre-candidates for each of the 65 municipalities.
Nonetheless, there have been inevitable leaks, and Thursday's issue of the independent newssheet "Carta de Mocambique' publishes the names of those whom it believes will be the Frelimo pre-candidates.
The paper is confident that the candidate for Mayor of Maputo will be Razaque Manhique, a young businessman who is currently the Frelimo First Secretary for the city. His main adversary in the internal elections will be Edgar Muchanga, a former member of the Maputo Municipal Assembly.
For the neighbouring city of Matola, the paper says two candidates have been approved - the current mayor, Calisto Cossa, and the Maputo provincial governor, Julio Parruque.
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For the central city of Beira, the likely Frelimo candidate is the current Secretary of State for Sofala province, Stella Zeca, who faces the task of taking this opposition stronghold out of the hands of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).
The Political Commission's choice for Quelimane, the paper says, is Ney Gani, a local musician and delegate of the insurance company, Emose. His main advantage is that he speaks the dominant language of Quelimane, Chuabo.
In the northern city of Nampula, Frelimo is banking on a former chairperson of the ports and railway company (CFM), Rosario Mualeia, to take control of the city from the hands of the main opposition party, Renamo.
In the central city of Chimoio, Joao Ferreira, widely regarded as one of Frelimo's most competent mayors, is likely to be candidate for a second term of office.
Other incumbent mayors likely to run for a further term of office include Cesar de Carvalho (Tete city), William Thuzine (Vilankulo) and Maria Langa (Manjacaze).
In Inhambane, the current mayor Bernardo Guimino, faces opposition from the current chairperson of the Municipal Assembly, Leonardo Bassanhane, and from businessman Nasmudine Momade.
In Pemba, capital of the northern province of Cabo Delgado, the current mayor, Florete Simba, faces stiff opposition from Gulamo Aboobacar, the former head of the Cabo Delgado Business Council, and from Satar Gani, former head of the Bay of Pemba Sports Club.
In the new municipality of Marracuene, in Maputo province, the dynamic district administrator, Shafee Sidat, will also certainly be candidate for mayor.
