The Portuguese president’s blunder

Good afternoon. Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has been criticised by Renamo, Mozambique’s largest opposition party, for appearing in a photo shaking hands with Daniel Chapo, ruling party Frelimo’s candidate for president of Mozambique, while Chapo was visiting Lisbon. The photo was then circulated by Frelimo with its logo and a message from Chapo thanking Rebelo de Sousa for his “teaching and encouragement”. This three months before the Mozambican presidential election.

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Instead of distancing himself from this blatant opportunism, Rebelo de Sousa’s office has simply said that he would be happy to meet other presidential candidates. The Portuguese president has shown a remarkable lack of political sensitivity for a man of his wisdom and experience. Especially so if, as we understand, the dinner he attended with Chapo was a gathering of Frelimo supporters. In that case, he should never have attended in the first place.