Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane yesterday met with the leadership of the opposition parties represented in Mozambique’s national parliament, according to diplomatic sources who held talks today with the Mozambican opposition.
The opposition group, which has also met twice with Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi and the Frelimo secretary general and president-elect Daniel Chapo, was made up of Albino Forquilha, the leader of Podemos, Lutero Simango, the head of MDM (the Mozambique Democratic Movement) and Salomão Muchanga, leader of Nova Democracia (ND). Renamo was represented by Saimone Macuiane instead of the party president Ossufo Momade.
According to Zitamar sources, the meeting with Venâncio Mondlane covered the ongoing dialogue between the parties, and proposals they have submitted regarding political and constitutional reforms. Issues related to electoral fraud and the situations related to current unrest were discussed too.
Last Thursday, while Venâncio Mondlane was returning back to the country, Daniel Chapo, as spokesperson for the political dialogue chaired by outgoing president Nyusi, said that Mondlane, who ran for the presidency with the support of Podemos, would be welcome to join the dialogue group.
Today, the leaders of the four opposition parties involved in the political dialogue — including Renamo leader Ossufo Momade — met the ambassadors of the US and the European Union, as well as the UK High Commissioner, to brief them on the Mozambican political situation, including their meeting yesterday with Mondlane, who is said to be staying at the $70-a-night City Lodge hotel in Maputo, part of a South African mid-range hotel chain.
Zitamar has learnt that the opposition parties have also scheduled an audience with a group of ambassadors representing the SADC countries.
