Cabo Verde’s president has called for dialogue in Mozambique between the various presidential candidates and the political parties that backed them in last month’s general elections in the country, in order to help end the post-election violence there.
“At the moment, the case is before the courts and I hope that they resolve the conflicts, clarify the doubts and that the political parties and different candidates can dialogue with each other and find the necessary bridges, understandings and agreements to maintain peace and tranquillity,” said the president, José Maria Neves.
The head of state was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a public event at the Presidential Palace in Praia.
Neves described the situation in Mozambique as “very tense” given the almost daily demonstrations, some 50 deaths, almost 200 detainees “and close to 800 injured” and called for “restraint, serenity and, above all, dialogue between the main political forces.”
Against this backdrop, Neves said, he had been in contact with those responsible for the Cabo Verdean community in Mozambique.
“It’s calm, it hasn’t been affected by the crisis and I’ve called on them to maintain their serenity,” away from demonstrations, he said, adding that Cabo Verde nationals should respect the host country’s institutions and recommendations from the authorities, so that “there is no tension or conflict with Cabo Verdeans in Mozambique.”
Neves pointed out that there have been post-election crises and constitutional breakdowns in several African countries – a situation that he said “should draw the attention of leaders and political parties so that, in the first instance, [there is] integrity in the elections, which is extremely important, and there is also recognition of the results.
“These situations show us that we must act to scrupulously respect the rules of the game and we must invest in strengthening democratic institutions,” he went on. “If we have strong and inclusive institutions, we will have fair and transparent elections, acceptance of the rules of the game and respect for the election results.”
On Tuesday, Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, invited the four candidates in last month’s presidential election – including Venâncio Mondlane, who has contested the official results and called demonstrations and strikes – to a meeting, and said that the violent post-election protests are creating “chaos” and that “spreading fear in the streets” weakens the country.
Also on Tuesday, Mondlane called on Mozambicans to observe three days of national mourning for the “fifty dead” in the post-election demonstrations.
Mondlane is contesting the victory handed by the electoral authorities to Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the governing Frelimo party, with 70.67% of the vote, according to the results announced on 24 October and which have yet to be validated by the Constitutional Council.
Lusa
