The advisor to former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who is leading the challenge to the election results in Mozambique, announced yesterday the end of the relationship with Podemos, accusing this political party of “selling out the people’s struggle”.
“Since, for us, not everything in life is about money and positions, out of respect for the pain of thousands of Mozambicans who paid with their blood, mutilated limbs, kidnappings, summary and extrajudicial executions or even deprivation of liberty, we renounce to [all] rights and prerogatives in favour of the Podemos party,” reads a document from the self-proclaimed “Office of the President Elected by the People”, signed by Dinis Tivane, Mondlane’s advisor.
The Optimistic People for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), a political party registered in May 2019 and made up of dissidents from the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), saw its popularity increase since announcing its support for Mondlane’s candidacy in the presidential elections on 21 August, 2024.
The “political agreement” came shortly after Mondlane’s first supporting coalition (CAD) was rejected by the Constitutional Council over “irregularities”.
In the elections held on 9 October, Podemos became the largest opposition party in Mozambique, with 43 seats in the current parliament, taking away a status that had been held by the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) since the first multi-party elections in 1994.
In the note signed by Mondlane’s advisor, Podemos is once again accused of having “sold out the people’s struggle”, especially due to the “early [premature] inauguration in parliament”, a process that was boycotted on the day of the inauguration by the other opposition parties which also rejected the election results, Renamo and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), but which took office later.
“As we have seen and as was witnessed by all, the Podemos party, against the will of the people and in an early manner, rushed to take office in the Assembly of the Republic. It is urgent to clarify that our political struggle is, fundamentally, for the salvation of Mozambique, and that the obsessive pursuit of material goods or any financial advantage based on the martyrdom of the people is not at stake,” the document reads.
In the same document, Podemos is accused of tampering with the political agreement that existed between the two parties. It also criticises the party for taking part in the dialogue to end the post-electoral crisis that is being promoted by the Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo, without presenting to the public “a concrete agenda or proposing terms of reference”.
“The Podemos party has embarked on a ‘supposed’ dialogue where it is still unknown who will benefit, or will it be, as always, the political elites distributing endless perks, benefits and privileges among themselves. Simply put: the old tactic of accommodation under the guise of ‘inclusion’ is at work,” he added.
Contacted by Lusa, Podemos spokesperson Duclésio Chico said that the party does not recognise the document distributed yesterday, saying that the agreement was signed specifically with Venâncio Mondlane and not with Dinis Tivane.
“The agreement is no longer valid at this time because Venâncio Mondlane violated the confidentiality clause, but we are still trying to uphold this agreement. However, he has broken it again, insulting and disrespecting our president [Albino Forquilha],” Chico said.
Podemos is the result of a split by former Frelimo members who called for greater “economic inclusion” and left the party in power at the time, claiming “disenchantment” and different ambitions.
In the new parliament, out of 250 seats, Podemos has 43, Renamo 28 and MDM eight, with Frelimo, in power since independence, holding the majority with 171 deputies.
Since 21 October, Mozambique has been experiencing a climate of strong social unrest, protests, demonstrations and strikes, called by Mondlane, with violent clashes between the police and demonstrators, which have caused at least 315 deaths, including around two dozen minors, and around 750 people shot, according to the electoral platform Decide, a non-governmental organisation that monitors the electoral processes.
Club of Mozambique
