Maputo — The Council of State, a consultative body that advises the President of the Republic, has proposed 9 October 2024 as the date for Mozambique's next general elections.

On Friday, President Filipe Nyusi chaired a meeting of the Council of State, which is legally obliged to issue an opinion on the date for general elections.

According to a press release from Nyusi's office, the date was proposed by the National Elections Commission (CNE), and accepted by the Council. Thus the presidential and parliamentary elections, and the elections for the ten provincial assemblies will take place simultaneously on 9 October 2014.

The Council of State could not give an opinion until the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, had decided whether elections for district assemblies would also be held on the same date.

But on Thursday parliament passed a constitutional amendment, proposed by the parliamentary group of the ruling Frelimo Party, which eliminated the constitutional requirement to hold district elections in 2024.

Instead, the constitution now states that the first district elections will be held when the necessary legal, material and financial conditions have been met.

Meanwhile, an independent citizens' group in the northern province of Cabo Delgado has become the first organization to submit nomination papers of its candidates for the municipal elections scheduled for 11 October.

This group is the Association of Natives and Sympathisers of Mocimboa da Praia (UMODJA) which, as its name suggests, is standing candidates only in the municipality of Mocimboa da Praia.