- The Frelimo presidential candidate was disturbed by the absence of the leaderships of the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) and the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD)
By MOZTIMES
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – The presidential candidate of the ruling Frelimo Party, Daniel Chapo, has held a meeting behind closed doors with leaders of important organisations who monitor various sectors of governance in Mozambique.
The meeting took place on 12 December, in a Maputo hotel. It was organised by a team that is providing strategic assistance to the Frelimo presidential candidate, as part of his preparation for eventual governance.
Chapo is convinced that he will be declared the winner of the presidential election held on 9 October. And so, while the Constitutional Council was checking the results submitted by the National Elections Commission (CNE), his team of advisers was preparing the ground for governance.
The meeting with leaders of civil society organisations was not an isolated event, but one of several meetings held by Chapo with representatives of various sectors of society. However, it took on special relevance, given the context of the closure of civic space during the governance of Filipe Nyusi. By inviting leaders of organisations that are critical of the government, Chapo wants to signal a possible change in the way of governing.
For the meeting of 12 December, leaders of organisations that operate as watchdogs of governance in various sectors were carefully chosen. As far as can be ascertained, representatives of nine organisations were invited, including the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), which works in the area of anti-corruption, and the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD), which promotes democracy and human rights.
But neither of these two organisations attended, which disturbed Daniel Chapo and members of State Protocol, who were present even though Chapo has not yet been proclaimed President of the Republic. The director of CIP, Edson Cortez, did not answer the invitation and the director of the CDD, Adriano Nuvunga, appointed a substitute who was denied entry because he was regarded as too "junior" to attend such a high-level meeting.
Among the leaders present at the meeting was João Pereira, director of the MASC Foundation, which has concentrated its efforts on containing and preventing violent extremism in northern Mozambique. The Institute for Multiparty Democracy (IMD), which promotes democracy and monitors elections through the “Sala da Paz” (“Peace Room”), was also represented by its respective director, Hermenegildo Mulhovo. Paula Monjane, director of the Civil Society Learning and Training Centre (CESC), was also present.
Monjane has been an active voice in the defence of human rights and the freedom of action of civil society organisations. Recently, she has led efforts against the closure of civic space in the framework of the measures taken by the Government to remove Mozambique from the “grey list” of countries regarded as having inadequate protection against money laundering, terrorist financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Also present was Benilde Nhalevilo, director of the Civil Society Forum for Children’s Rights (ROSC), who currently chairs the Budget Monitoring Forum (FMO), well-known for heading the campaign against the legalisation of the hidden debts – a financial scandal involving illicit loans from international banks of more than two billion US dollars for failed maritime security and tuna fishing projects.
The director of the Community Radio Forum, Ferosa Chaúeque, took part in the meeting, representing the Human Rights Commission of the Mozambique Bar Association.
According to sources consulted, during the meeting Chapo said he is willing to listen to the opinions of civil society leaders. The discussion centred on the integrity of the elections and the post-election crisis which followed the announcement of the preliminary results from the 9 October general elections.
The civil society leaders did not treat Chapo as President, stressing that he has not yet been proclaimed head of state. Paula Monjane was the first to speak, stressing that the truth about the elections is fundamental for the legitimacy of elected leaders. Benilde Nhalevilo stressed the killing of dozens of children by the police during the demonstrations against the election results.
Ferosa Chaúeque spoke of the illegal detentions of thousands of people during the demonstrations, many of whom were released by the courts with the “pro bono” assistance of lawyers appointed by the OAM.
Some think that Daniel Chapo wanted to present his plan or vision for governance but was unable to do so because the majority of those present stressed that he was still just a candidate.
Leaders of other important civil society organisations who monitor governance, such as the Countryside Observatory (OMR), the Institute of Social and Economic Studies (IESE), Nweti and the Community Development Foundation (FDC) were also absent.
There are reports that Daniel Chapo wants to organise similar meetings to give the image of a new governance approach, different from the authoritarianism shown by Filipe Nyusi over the last 10 years.
It remains to be seen whether Chapo will maintain this commitment after the Constitutional Council confirms him as the fifth President of Mozambique on Monday. (MT)
