Ossufo Momade, the leader of the Mozambican main pposition party, Renamo, has accused the international community of betrayal and of giving false guarantees for creating the conditions for fair and credible elections in the country.
“We were betrayed. When we were there in the Gorongosa mountains, the (international) community was saying that everything was going to end, that they had spoken to (President Filipe) Nyusi and (the ruling) Frelimo party about the need for free, fair and transparent elections,” said Momade, during a lengthy interview aired on Wednesday’s night weekly interview programme “Grande Entrevista”, in the private television station, STV.
Momade argued that the international community has acknowledged Renamo’s win in the 12 Octover municipal elections, but he condemned their stance of not levelling sanctions against Frelimo. “It is not enough to say that Renamo won and that they condemn (the fraud), sanctions are needed,” he said.
“Why do they let things happen? This year we’ve elections and we’ll continue with the same problems,” Momade said.
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The interview was aired just two days when Momade is due in court to contest an injunction request seeking to restrain him from leading Renamo brought by Venâncio Mondlane, a member of the party’s parliamentary bench and head of Renamo’s list for the municipal elections for Maputo city – Momade’s term of office ended on 17 January, which his accuser interprets as overstaying his statutory term.
Furthermore, Mondlane also asked the 11 section of a Maputo City Judicial Court to force Momade to set up the dates for the holding of the party’s elective congress.
Observers say that Momade’s protestations reflect his state of mind following the court upholding the injunction brought by his former political advisor, Mondlane, who he all but labelled “crazy”.
Momade’s problems do not end with Mondane. This week, Elias Dhlakama, a retired general and the brother of the late Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, said that the internal crisis rocking the party was a “national disgrace,” adding that “for over 40 years of our existence, we’ve never went through a situation like the present in which an internal problem ended up in court.”
Mozambique Insights has learnt that Renamo members are gnawing their fingers ahead of Momades’ court appearance on Friday. If the court sides with Mondlane, it means that the delegates that the former summarily dismissed from the party’s National Council are likely to make their opposing voices and votes heard during the elective congress.
Should he lose the court battle, Momade cannot automatically run as a presidential candidate without the approval of Renamo’s congress. Hence his nervousness.
Momade has been accused in many sectors of being cahoots with Nyusi and Frelimo for his lack of effort in the aftermath of the most fraudulent elections in Mozambique’s history.
Meanwhile, Manuel Bissopo, Renamo’s secretary-general until Dhlakama’s death in 2018, said on Thursday that there is a need for the party convene the elective congress, blaming Momade’s advisors for putting their interests ahead of the party – the job of an advisor comes with lots of perks which Momade generously hands out.
Bissopo also criticised Mondlane’s handling of the situation, saying that he should have exposed the illegalities within the party. Regardless, Momade’s room to manoeuvre is receding and there is a growing chorus of dissenters who would like to see the back of him.
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