Former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane has guaranteed that general demonstrations will be suspended for a period of three months throughout the country, clarifying that he is preparing an alternative government to provide better living conditions for Mozambicans.
In an interview with CNN Portugal, Mondlane explained that ‘demonstrations in the streets with placards and road blockades will be suspended for three months. The fulfilment of the measures will determine the resumption of the protests.’
Mondlane recalled that at 15h00 (Mozambican time) on Friday 17 January, he will make a statement to the nation in which he intends to announce the government’s measures for the next 100 days, adding that there will be an ‘alternative or shadow government’, and that tolls will continue to be free for another 90 days.
‘I will communicate with measures that are for the benefit of the people. The idea is to be an alternative, shadow government. It will be something unprecedented. To tell you the truth, we’re not inventing the wheel, we’ve already seen this situation in Portugal where we had a shadow government. I studied the process and we looked at the Portuguese experience,’ he said.
Possible national reconciliation proposed by Daniel Chapo
In his speech, Mondlane made it clear that he is open to dialogue, as long as it is objective and open to international mediators, stressing that Portugal plays an important role in this process.
‘With regard to the question of reconciliation raised by the candidate nominated by the Constitutional Council, Daniel Chapo, I have to say that I agree and am 100 per cent available to put it into practice,’ he argued.
Cancellation of the meeting with Paulo Rangel
Recently, Mondlane accused the Portuguese foreign minister of bias and of ‘manipulating’ public opinion by saying that he is monitoring the post-election process in Mozambique.
When asked by journalists about these statements, Paulo Rangel downplayed them, looking at them ‘with great fair play. I understand that in this context people express their opinions freely and therefore Portugal’s objective, as I said from the start, is a very constructive stance and attitude to facilitate dialogue, to create the willingness to help, if that is wanted and necessary,’ he explained.
Paulo Rangel insisted that in this process, marked by demonstrations and post-election tensions that have led to more than 300 deaths and 600 people shot since 21 October, ‘dialogue is needed from this moment on.’
The Portuguese diplomat was open to a debate with Venâncio Mondlane, but the meeting did not take place due to security concerns. ‘I had indications of a risk to my personal safety. As you may know, I am surrounded by military vehicles and intelligence forces who advised us that there were no guarantees,’ the Mozambican politician explained to CNN Portugal.
Mondlane also emphasised: ‘We have no problems with the Portuguese government, not least because Portugal is much more than a minister, someone’s opinion and their message.’