Good afternoon. Arguments about the constitutional role of the Mozambican president are not, on the face of it, very important for anyone other than scholars of constitutional law. However, an opinion article by Óscar Monteiro, grandee of ruling party Frelimo, in newspaper Savana this week could encourage it to gain support. Monteiro argues that, according to the Mozambican constitution, the jobs of president of Mozambique and party leader must be kept separate, so that the head of state is never leader of a party.
The full Daily Briefing continues below for Pro subscribers. Subscribers to the Zitamar News tier can read the top half, including the full leader article, here.
His argument would be unlikely to fly, were it not for the fact that many senior figures in Frelimo agree with it. They believe that the party would be run more smoothly if there were not tensions and clashes between the running of Frelimo and the running of the state. For example, the selection of Frelimo’s presidential candidate earlier this year, which turned into something of a struggle between President Filipe Nyusi and senior party figures, could be made easier.
