Renamo’s candidate in the city of Maputo on Tuesday led thousands of supporters to the doors of the Anglican Church to demand the resignation of its bishop Carlos Matsinhe, who is also president of the National Electoral Commission (CNE).
“A man of God who carries a gun inside a church? It’s time for him to go outside. It is not enough for him to be expelled from the church, he must also leave the CNE,” said Venancio Mondlane over the cab of a truck on Avenida Rio Tembe, drawing applause from the thousands of supporters who accompanied him today for another day of marching in protest against the alleged “mega-rigging” of the 11 elections October.
Several organizations have already demanded Matsinhe’s resignation from the CNE in the context of the opposition and various institutions challenging the results of local elections announced by the body.
The removal of Carlos Matsinhe from his position as bishop is also being demanded by the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola (IAMA), an organization that covers the “ecclesiastical province” of believers in the two countries, reading a summons drawn up by the bishop himself and signed by the diocesan administrator of the Anglican Church in Mozambique, Elvis Lucas Gumete.
The Diocese of Libombos of the Anglican Church in Mozambique will hold a meeting in Maputo today with only one item on the agenda: to discuss demands for Matsinhe’s resignation.
According to Venanciu, the current president of the CNE should also stand trial.
“He is a man of God who became the devil. After this, Matsinhe should be arrested. Half a prison awaits him,” added Venancio Mondlane amid the crowd shouting “Matsinhe, street.”
Mozambique’s sixth municipal elections took place on October 11 in 65 municipalities across the country, including 12 new municipalities that went to vote for the first time.
The Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), the main opposition party, which in the previous 53 municipalities (12 new municipalities were created this year) was in the lead in eight, was left without any municipality, despite claiming victory in the country’s largest cities based on protocols and original notifications from polling stations by contacting the Constitutional Court, the final court of appeal in the election process.
Some district courts even found violations in the electoral process and ordered a number of electoral acts to be repeated, while street demonstrations are regularly held against the announced results, which have not yet been confirmed by the Central Committee.
EAC // VM
Lusa/The End