Maputo — Mozambican opposition parties on Monday declared they are open to dialogue with the government, despite their unanimous rejection as fraudulent of the election results declared a week ago by the country's highest body in matters of electoral law, the Constitutional Council.
At the invitation of President Filipe Nyusi, all the main parties sent their top leaders to a meeting held at the presidential offices in Maputo, at which the President-Elect, and General Secretary of the ruling Frelimo Party, Daniel Chapo, was also present.
The opposition leaders present were Albano Forquilha, of Podemos, which is now the largest opposition party in parliament, Lutero Simango, of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), Ossufo Momade (Renamo), and Salomao Muchanga (ND - New Democracy).
Chosen as spokesperson for the meeting, Simango stressed that, despite their willingness to talk, the opposition parties would never accept the results declared by the Constitutional Council.
This is hardly surprising, since the Council openly admitted that fraud had taken place during the general elections held on 9 October. After some juggling with the figures, which brought the size of Chapo's majority down from 70 to 65 per cent, the Council claimed that the "irregularities' did not substantially affect the result. But the Council also admitted that it had adjusted the results in order to avoid the need for a recount of the votes.
The opposition parties, Simango said, remain "open to an internal dialogue'. Contacts between the parties would continue in the coming days, and each of the parties, he added, agrees that far-reaching reforms are needed, particularly in terms of governance.
Simango insisted that the dialogue must be "frank, honest and inclusive, and must take account of the need to respect the votes cast by Mozambicans at the ballot box on 9 October'.
The objective of the dialogue, he stressed, was "to establish a new social pact to change Mozambique'.
"We shall do everything for the welfare of Mozambicans', he declared.
In the coming days, formal and informal dialogue sessions will continue. Priority areas for dialogue will be mapped out next week. This almost certainly means that the talks will continue after Nyusi leaves office on 15 January, and Chapo is sworn into office as the new head of state.
Nyusi declared that Mozambicans themselves must seek solution to their problems - but he was open to some form of assistance from international partners.
The obvious problem with the Monday meeting is that nobody was present who could claim to represent exiled presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane. It is Mondlane who has decreed the strikes and demonstrations, which have degenerated into riots dealing crushing blows against the fragile Mozambican economy.
Although Podemos supported Mondlane's bid for the presidency, Mondlane is not a member of this party, and there is no indication that Forquilha can speak for him.
Mondlane has postponed the next phase of unrest, which he calls his "spearhead'. In another of his regular live broadcasts, transmitted from an undisclosed location via his Facebook page, on Monday night Mondlane said this uneasy truce will continue until 2 January.
Pf/ (512) 1071224E LOOTING COSTS 12,000 MOZAMBICANS THEIR JOBS
Maputo, 31 Dec (AIM) - Last week's destruction and looting of shops, warehouses and factories, particularly in the southern Mozambican city of Matola, has deprived 12,000 Mozambican workers of their jobs, according to the Confederation of Mozambican Business Associations (CTA).
The deputy chairperson of the CTA's industry portfolio, Onorio Manuel, told reporters on Monday that rioters had attacked and looted more than 500 companies.
"We are saying that about 40 per cent of the industrial fabric of Mozambique has been vandalised', said Manuel.
In financial terms, the most recent survey showed that Mozambican businesses had lost more than 24.8 billion meticais (about 390 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate). But that calculation was made before last week's massive looting and destruction, and so total losses must now be much higher.
As for employment, "more than 12,000 Mozambicans have no work because of the violent demonstrations', a number that would certainly rise in the event of more rioting.
"Of the 500 companies looted and vandalised, a large number will not be able to recover easily', Manuel warned. "There will be a shortage of goods, and the few products that still exist will record galloping price increases. This will naturally affect the life of every Mozambican'.
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The Minister of Industry and Trade, Silvino Moreno told reporters on Monday, after a meeting of the Mozambique-South Africa Chamber of Commerce, that shiploads of foodstuffs and other goods have been stuck in the Port of Maputo because of the difficulties of trucks moving the goods to their intended destinations.
The ships have been held up in the port for several weeks, said Moreno. The goods they are carrying include rice, which is now in great demand, following the looting of warehouses full of rice last week.
"Unfortunately, the goods cannot leave the port because trucks cannot move in this situation of rioting', said the Minister.
Mozambican and South African companies that use the Maputo Logistical Corridor have set up a crisis management group to guarantee the security of the goods leaving the port.
Moreno said that military escorts are now being provided between the port and the Ressano Garcia border post.
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