Dakar, Senegal — Mozambican clergy, Mgr Jaime Goncalves says unless President Joaquim Chissano's government takes immediate steps to institute a fair and transparent electoral system, the flood-hit nation could relapse into political crisis.

Goncalves, the Archbishop of Beira and one of the key negotiators of the Rome Peace Accord of October 1992, warned Friday in Dakar that the danger of another post-election violence reminiscent of previous "clashes in which many people were shot dead and several arrested, is still real."

The prelate, who is attending a Standing Committee meeting of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar in the Senegalese capital, told PANA that the electoral system in Mozambique was such that "those who win elections can lose, while losers become the winners."

"Quite often, this happens in Mozambique. (The opposition) RENAMO has continued to claim that they won last January elections in spite of the fact that the ruling party FRELIMO officially announced that it won," Goncalves said.

"Now our greatest fear is not only that such poor election management might further undermine the peace and reconciliation momentum generated by the 1992 accord, but it could even drag the nation into another war," he explained.

Goncalves said "it is the responsibility of the government to ensure free and fair elections in respect of its commitment under the accord."

The Archbishop, who authored a recent Pastoral letter on "Dialogue to keep the peace on," said the Catholic Church which had been at the forefront of several peace initiatives in Mozambique, plans to encourage the government and political parties to resume talks.

"This is the only way by which we can avert another war," he added.

He criticised government's handling of the perennial floods in the country.

While, "the government has done its best to obtain assistance from abroad, I find its inability to take preventive measures quite irresponsible," the prelate said.