By Ricardo Dias
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – The Mozambican anti-corruption watchdog, the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), has filed an injunction with a Maputo court to block the election of Daniel Chapo, the President of the Republic, as the leader of the ruling party, Frelimo.
CIP argues that the position of head of state should be exercised exclusively and cannot be combined with leadership of a political party.
The CIP petition was submitted to the Maputo City Law Court (TJCM) on Thursday, the day before an extraordinary meeting of the Frelimo Central Committee, whose main agenda is to elect Daniel Chapo as the party's president.
The CIP injunction is based on Article 148 of the Constitution, which states that "the President of the Republic may not, except in cases expressly provided for in the Constitution, hold any other public office, nor, under any circumstances, engage in any private functions."
Should the court uphold the injunction, Daniel Chapo will be temporarily barred from leading Frelimo, marking an unprecedented case, as all previous heads of state have also served as presidents of the party.
However, CIP argues that holding both positions simultaneously, in addition to violating the Constitution, compromises the fairness, impartiality, and transparency of the president's decisions, placing party interests above national concerns.
The organisation also warns of the risk of state capture by partisan interests and the misuse of public resources for political purposes. (RD)
