– The leader of the opposition, and independent presidential candidate has called a general strike “to paralyse the country” next Monday, challenging a warning from the Public Prosecutor’s Office to avoid incitement to violence.
– The Confederation of Business Associations says that paralysing productive and business activity across the country would result in enormous economic losses
By Neusa Chiunguete and Sheila Nhancale
Maputo (MOZ TIMES) – The police will not allow any kind of demonstration organised by the opposition to oppose the results of the 09 October general elections, which granted victory to the presidential candidate of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO).
The national police spokesperson, Orlando Mudumane, speaking to journalists in Maputo this Friday, said that the police and the other defence and security forces will “repel any illegal demonstration”, and called on all citizens to collaborate with the police.
Venâncio Mondlane, the runner-up in the 9 October presidential election, does not accept the preliminary election results announced by the election management bodies. To protest against the results, he called “a national general strike” for Monday 21. He called for “the paralysis of all public and private services”.
The call for a “general strike” comes in the context of post-election tensions, after the announcement of results, marred by cases of fraud, reported by national and international observers, in favour of FRELIMO, the party that has been in power since independence in 1975.
Mondlane enjoys mass support among young mozambicans, particularly in the urban areas, and it is feared that the demonstrations could turn violent, as it happened last year. Using his Facebook account, which has hundreds of thousands of followers, Mondlane has called on his supporters to join the strike, and advised those who did not want to go on strike to stay at home.
The police have warned that all necessary and justifiable measures will be taken “to repel any acts of vandalism, violence, generalised public disorder, strikes and illegal demonstrations, in accordance with the prnciples of legality and proportionality”, said Orlando Mudumane.
The police spokesperson added that the defence and security forces “will not allow any disturbance of peace and public order”, and that they will ensure “the free circulation of people and goods, and the normal operations of public and private institutions”.
However, there is a serious risk that public and private services will be paralysed, in whole or in part, next Monday. On hearing words such as “strike” or “demonstration” employers start to panic and are advising their workers not to go to work on Monday.
The main employers’ body, the Confederation of Business Associations (CTA), issued a statement condemning the threat to paralyse public and private services, warning of the negative impact this could have on the economy.
“The CTA repudiates and condemns the calling of a national demonstration, characterised by the paralysis of all services and economic and professional activities. Such a national stoppage would result in enormous social and economic losses, in which the working class would be the main victims ”, the CTA said in its statement, distributed by e-mail.
Post-election violence has been frequent in Mozambique. Last year at least nine people were killed by the police in demonstrations against the results of the municipal elections. Today, 19 October, prominent opposition lawyer Elvino Dias, and an election agent for the PODEMOS party, were murdered in central Maputo, in what might be the prelude to more generalised violence. (NC/SN)
