The new parliament will take office on Monday (13). The Minister of Labour has been removed from office and will be Frelimo’s candidate for president of parliament.
The ruling Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo) has nominated former minister Margarida Talapa for the post of President of Parliament. The election will take place on Monday, after the new legislature takes office.
According to information from the secretariat-general of the Assembly of the Republic, in addition to the former Minister of Labour and Social Security – who was removed from office on Thursday – nominations were also received from Carlos Tembe and Fernando Jone for the same position, the second highest office in the Mozambican state.
Both are making their debut as MPs for Podemos, a party that until now has been non-parliamentary and which supported Venâncio Mondlane’s presidential bid.
The 250 deputies elected to the 10th Legislature of the Mozambican Parliament will be sworn in this Monday at 10am local time (8am in Lisbon) at the parliament’s headquarters in Maputo, in a solemn ceremony to be led by the outgoing Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi.
In addition to the swearing-in of the deputies, the agenda also includes the election of the President of Parliament for the new legislature, a position currently held by Esperança Bias, who was re-elected in these elections as the Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo) deputy for Manica province.
Frelimo won the elections to the Mozambican parliament with an absolute majority, securing 171 deputies, with newcomer Podemos electing 43, dethroning Renamo as the leader of the opposition, according to the proclamation of the results on 23 December by the president of the Constitutional Council (CC), Lúcia Ribeiro.
Frelimo retains its parliamentary majority in the tenth legislature, with 171 deputies (184 at present), and now has four parties represented, compared to the current three.
The Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), which until now was non-parliamentary and supported Venâncio Mondlane’s presidential bid, came second, gaining status as the main opposition party, with 43 MPs.
According to the results proclaimed by the CC, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) lost its status as the largest opposition party, with 28 elected deputies, down from the current 60.
For its part, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) maintained its parliamentary representation, with eight deputies, two more than at present.
The investiture of the 250 deputies to the Mozambican Parliament precedes the inauguration of the new Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo – supported by Frelimo – set for 15 January, who was elected with 65.17% of the votes, succeeding Filipe Nyusi in office, according to the results proclaimed by the CC.
Lusa