Broad-based call for national conference
But will donors support it or continue to back Frelimo?
A dozen prominent academics and intellectuals with links both in Frelimo and to the opposition joined Wednesday in a “call on all parties and relevant political actors to convene a National Conference that unites all the political sensitivities of our social fabric so that together we can discuss how to overcome this post-election crisis in the spirit of ‘Making Mozambique a safe country for citizens’.” The group includes Carlos Serra, Egna Sidumo, Elísio Macamo, José Jaime Macuane, Severino Ngoenha, and Tomás Vieira Mário.
The appeal notes that “The post-election crisis reinforces the need for reflection, seriousness and a renewed commitment to the founding ideal of our nation. This renewal is done by strengthening citizenship and, consequently, by widening the spaces for exercising citizenship. We register this concern with an urgent appeal to the need to (re)make Mozambique a safe country for citizenship.”
The Manifesto and call for the national conference in English and the original Portuguese is on https://bit.ly/Moz-El-NatConf and a very good video (45Mb, Pt only) is on https://bit.ly/Moz-El-NatConf-video
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For the conference to work, the donors need to challenge Frelimo
But such a conference will only work if Frelimo accepts the need to take an active part.
In a meeting Monday with diplomats, Veronica Macamo – who is Foreign Minister, a senior Political Commission member, and the party agent for Frelimo – noted that Frelimo has only read the few observer reports that called the election free and fair. She stressed that donors have aways backed Frelimo, and expects them to continue supporting Frelimo.
And this was clear last year when Renamo won the municipal election in Maputo and Venancio Mondlane was elected mayor, and he showed 95% of the results sheets (editais) which was legal proof. But Frelimo and Constitutional Council said Frelimo won, and no donor protested. In Venezuela the international community said the President was not fairly re-elected and his re-election was not recognised. But that was not said for Maputo mayor, even with the proof. So Veronica Macamo is right that the international community backs Frelimo. This gives strength to a hard line within Frelimo and encouraged the blatant fraud in this year’s election.
But many in Frelimo are angry and do not accept election thefts to maintain riches for some and poverty for young people. This election had the lowest turnout ever in Mozambique, in parts parts of Gaza under 30% voted. A stronger diplomatic voice would give strength to progressive forces within Frelimo and could bring Frelimo to the table of a national conference.
Or was the theft of the election in Maputo last year and across the country this year a new normal which donor capitals choose to support?
The full bulletin in pdf is on https://bit.ly/Moz-El-334
