Costa is standing for one of the three places on the 13 member CNE reserved for candidates proposed by bona fide civil society organizations. Costa claims that he has been nominated by just such a body, the National Teachers’ Union (ONP) – but the ONP leadership strongly denies ever discussing the issue, let alone submitting a formal nomination.
According to a report in Thursday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, the ONP document supposedly proposing Costa was signed by Safira Stefane Mahanjae, who was elected to the ONP National Secretariat from the southern province of Gaza.
But the ONP President, Beatriz Muhoro, told the paper that Mahanjae had no power to sign any correspondence at all in the name of the union. Mahanjae has indeed been elected to the Secretariat, but has not yet taken office.
The old secretariat of the ONP was dissolved on 26 March – a week before the meeting at which the ONP is supposed to have decided in favour of supporting Costa’s candidacy. The ONP’s new secretariat and National Council have not yet been sworn into office. The ceremony at which they will take office is scheduled for May.
Mahanjae “has not taken office”, insisted Muhoro. “Currently it is only the union’s Presidency that is taking decisions”. The ONP statutes are clear on this – while the new secretariat has not taken office, all its powers are exercised by the Presidency.
“Any decision taken by Mahanjae in the name of the ONP is illegal”, Muhoro added. “I know that she herself is aware of the illegality that she has committed”.
The ONP has set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances in which the fraudulent documents supporting Costa’s CNE candidacy were drawn up.
The union is also waiting for a response from the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, to its letter denying that it had ever supported Costa’s bid for a second term. An ad-hoc commission of the Assembly, in charge of receiving the nominations for the civil society places on the CNE, had included Costa’s name on a short list of 16 candidates.
As of Tuesday, the commission had insisted that Costa’s nomination was legitimate. Given the vehement reaction from Muhoro, it may have to rethink and remove Costa’s name – although it would be wise for Costa himself to save the commission the trouble and withdraw his candidacy.
Post published in: Africa News