Renamo leader promises to fight for democracy in the country

Renamo leader Ossufo Momade, a presidential candidate in the October general elections, said in Sofala on Saturday that democracy in Mozambique was under threat but that the largest opposition party was determined to fight to preserve it.

“We have given our youth to fight for this democracy. Many say that we will disappear, but we will not allow this to happen because we will fight to stand firm and support democracy in the country,” said Ossufo Momade, president of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), during an intervention in the main town of Nhamatanda district, Sofala province, in the center of the country.

Speaking to supporters, Momade assured that Renamo was ready for the election race scheduled for October 9 and that it had always sought to respect democratic principles and promote internal cohesion.

“It was Renamo that brought democracy here, all the parties that are emerging were created thanks to Renamo, and we will never kill it,” he said.

In a conciliatory tone, he also said that Renamo was a place where all members could assert themselves and work towards achieving collective goals.

Ossoufou Momade is Renamo’s candidate for the October general election for president of the republic, following a congressional vote in May that also returned him to the leadership of the largest opposition party.

The party leader had already run for President of the Republic with the support of Renamo in the 2019 elections, coming second with 21.88% in the vote, during which Filipe Nyusi was re-elected head of state with 73% of the votes.

On Friday, Lusa said the presidents of Mozambique’s eight small political parties, which have no representation in parliament, had approved a joint discussion on “full support” for Ossufo Momade’s candidacy for president of the republic in the October general elections.

“To provide full support in all dimensions to the candidacy of Ossoufou Momade for the post of President of the Republic in the elections scheduled for October 9, 2024,” reads the resolution adopted at a meeting of the leaders of these parties on Thursday.

The support positions include the National Unity Party (PUN), the Ecological Party of Mozambique (PEMO), the Mozambican National Union (UNAMO), the Liberal Progress Party of Mozambique (PPLM), the Central Party of Mozambique (PCM), the Unidos Congress of Democrats (CDU), the Liberal Democratic Party of Mozambique (Padalemo) and the Union of Democrats of Mozambique (UDM).

The CDU and Pemo parties, according to the National Electoral Commission (CNE), were parties to the first agreement in April to form the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD), which, in turn, supports the candidacy of Venancio Mondlane, a former member and former deputy of Renamo, President of the Republic.

However, both parties left the coalition, according to the CNE, without giving due notice of the change, which was one of the reasons that prompted the electoral body to reject the CAD’s candidacies in the provincial gubernatorial and provincial assemblies elections on Thursday.

The CAD, considered a strong opponent of Renamo, announced an appeal to the Constitutional Council against the NCE decision.

On 24 June, the Constitutional Council approved the candidacies of Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo), currently in power, Ossufo Momade, supported by Renamo, Lutero Simango, supported by the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the third parliamentary force, and Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the CAD, for the post of President of the Republic.

The presidential election will be held simultaneously with legislative elections, as well as gubernatorial and provincial assembly elections.

The current President of the Republic and Frelimo, Filipe Nyusi, is constitutionally barred from running for office again as he is currently serving his second term as head of state after being elected in 2015 and 2019.