Maputo — Mozambique's main opposition party, Renamo, on Wednesday confirmed that the party's leader, Ossufo Momade, will be the Renamo candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for October.
Renamo national spokesperson Jose Manteigas announced the decision at a Maputo press conference. He attributed Renamo's "good results' in the municipal elections of 11 October to Momade's leadership. Renamo argues that it is the real winner in such major cities as Maputo, Matola and Nampula, and has only been deprived of these victories because of massive electoral fraud.
"Yes, he is our candidate', said Manteigas. "He is the leader who is bringing the party great successes. If we measure success by electoral results, we note an improved performance, and that is because of Ossufo Momade's leadership'.
But he added that the final decision must be taken by a Renamo Congress. Unlike his predecessor, Afonso Dhlakama, Momade enjoys democratic legitimacy within Renamo, in that he was elected, in a contested election, at a Renamo Congress in January 2019. The next congress is due this year.
"The Congress is an organ of the party', said Manteigas, "but there are competent bodies that will convene it, and when the time comes, the country will know what steps Renamo is taking to hold the Congress',
There have been complaints that Momade's leadership is sluggish and has not reacted firmly enough to the fraud in the municipal elections. Younger figures have led the massive Renamo street protests against the election results, such as the Renamo mayor of Quelimane, Manuel de Araujo, and the party's candidate for mayor of Maputo, Venancio Mondlane.
Already pro-Renamo voices on social media are complaining bitterly against the decision to run Momade as the presidential candidate. So when the Congress is held, there will certainly be one or more alternatives running against Momade for the leadership of the party.
Manteigas guaranteed that Renamo will participate in the October presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections "in our maximum strength'.
He was confident that Renamo enjoys "the unconditional support of the public'.
"Because we are fighters and defenders of democracy, we are determined to participate to the maximum in the next elections', Manteigas declared. "We are confident of the unconditional support we have received from the population, which is the reason that Renamo exists'.
He insisted that Renamo will not accept the results of the repeat municipal elections held on 10 December in four municipalities - Marromeu, Nacala, Gurue and Milange.
The Constitutional Council, the country's highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law, validated the elections and, on 30 December, declared that the ruling Frelimo Party had won in all four municipalities, despite the evidence of serious fraud in Marromeu and Gurue.
Manteigas declared that "the bias and sponsorship of electoral fraud by the Constitutional Council is a body blow against the democratic rule of law'.
He noted that the Council itself had mentioned such illegalities as voter rolls at the polling stations which did not coincide with those in the possession of the candidates, the circulation of ballot papers marked in advance, the interruption of the count at some polling stations, and ballot box stuffing by polling station chairpersons.
"But for the Constitutional Council, all these factors are irrelevant and do not substantially invalidate the results', said Manteigas. "With all the problems that affected the elections, it is obvious that they were not free, fair or transparent'.
He wondered whether in Mozambique elections "are not a mere legitimation of a party which does not care what means it uses to stay in power'.
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"As Mozambicans, we need to reverse the paradigm of electoral fraud which cyclically plunges our country into social instability, since elections in Mozambique mean violence, bloodshed and lack of respect for the people's will', he declared.
Manteigas also protested at the government's decision to begin voter registration for the general elections in February, which is usually the peak of the rainy season. The rains could make roads impassable, causing difficulties in taking equipment to the voter registration posts, and discouraging many potential voters from registering.
"We are demanding the indication of a different period to allow the mass participation we all desire', he said.
Renamo has become the first of the three main parties to choose its presidential candidate. The Frelimo candidate is chosen by the party's Central Committee, which will probably meet in March.
The candidate for the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) is likely to be its leader, Lutero Simango, though this has yet to be confirmed.
