In a phone contact on Sunday, the Renamo national spokesperson Fernando Mazanga, confirmed to AIM that the venue was one of the factors leading to the postponement.
The three rounds of talks held in December took place in the Indy Village hotel in the Maputo suburb of Sommerschield. Initially, the government suggested that this round should be held on 22 April, in the same hotel.
But Renamo rejected Indy Village or any other hotel, as inappropriate for what it regarded as a state event (although no objections were raised in December). Mazanga had said “a state character must be given to the dialogue, and you can’t do this round a restaurant table”.
So the government then suggested that the talks be held on 29 April in the Ministry of Agriculture – a practical suggestion, since the head of the government delegation is Agriculture Minister Jose Pacheco, And that was precisely why Renamo rejected this venue too.
Mazanga told AIM “we rejected the Ministry of Agriculture, because the Minister is the head of the government team to the negotiations. If we accepted, it might seem as though we were requesting an audience from the Minister of Agriculture”.
So, according to Mazanga, both sides have now agreed that the talks will be held on 2 May (Thursday) in Maputo’s Joaquim Chissano Conference Centre.
Asked what points Renamo wants to discuss, Mazanga said “basically they’re the same points we have presented on various occasions in the past”.
The main issues Renamo raised in December were the electoral legislation, alleged discrimination against Renamo in the armed forces, the supposed domination of the state by the ruling Frelimo Party, and equality in economic opportunities.
Since the start of the dialogue in December, the new electoral laws have been passed in the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, with the ruling Frelimo Party and the second opposition force, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) voting in favour, and Renamo voting against.
Renamo has consistently called for the formation of a National Elections Commission (CNE), with a majority of members appointed by opposition parties. It is now threatening not only to boycott the municipal elections scheduled for 20 November, but to prevent other Mozambicans from voting, or even registering as voters.
It is quite impossible to change the legislation at this late stage, if municipal elections are to be held this year, as demanded by the constitution. So by demanding that the electoral laws be rewritten Renamo is in reality demanding a postponement of the elections.
Post published in: Africa News