Battle looms over Frelimo presidential vote

Good afternoon. A podcast to be recorded by the NGO the Centre for Public Integrity, discussing ruling party Frelimo’s upcoming selection of its presidential candidate, talks about the “mystery of the preliminary candidates”. They are not wrong. Less than three months remain before the deadline for political parties to submit their chosen candidates for October’s presidential election, yet it remains completely unclear who is going to be on Frelimo’s shortlist and how the candidates will be shortlisted. The final candidate needs to be elected by Frelimo’s Central Committee; that much is clear. But there are only two committee meetings left between now and the June deadline, and the vote will need to take place at the second meeting, in May. Thus this weekend’s committee meeting is the last chance that Frelimo rank-and-file activists will have to influence how the names for the shortlist are chosen before they can vote. Developments this week suggest that they may get their chance.

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