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The dialogue between the government and Renamo, after a Renamo boycott lasting more than three months, resumed on 27 January and continued on Saturday.
Last year, the dialogue had stalled because Renamo demanded parity with the ruling Frelimo Party on the National Elections Commission (CNE), and was trying to use the dialogue as a back door to overturning the election laws passed by the country’s parliament in December 2012. The legislation passed with the votes of Frelimo and of the second opposition party, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), while Renamo voted against.
Recently Renamo has hinted that it may be prepared to drop its demand for parity on the CNE. Interviewed by the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, the Renamo national spokesperson, Fernando Mazanga, said the solution “does not necessarily involve parity”, he said. “We must understand that in negotiations, one doesn’t win everything, but also one doesn’t lose everything”.
“We are willing to make some concessions”, Mazanga added, “concessions in order to ensure that Mozambicans have free and fair elections, and above all that Mozambicans live in peace”.
It is clear that it would be quite impossible to appoint a new CNE, plus new provincial, district and city elections commissions, and still hold this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections on 15 October.
But Renamo’s electoral proposals of last year also had several points that the government delegation accepted. These included provisions for recounts, electoral courts, full immunity for polling station monitors, places for political party observers at CNE meetings, and permanent party observers at the CNE’s executive body, the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE).
Had Renamo presented these as amendments to the electoral law at the extraordinary parliamentary sitting of August last year, they would have been accepted, and could have made a material difference to the conduct of the November municipal elections.
Last year, the dialogue had stalled because Renamo demanded parity with the ruling Frelimo Party on the National Elections Commission (CNE), and was trying to use the dialogue as a back door to overturning the election laws passed by the country’s parliament in December 2012. The legislation passed with the votes of Frelimo and of the second opposition party, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), while Renamo voted against.
Recently Renamo has hinted that it may be prepared to drop its demand for parity on the CNE. Interviewed by the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, the Renamo national spokesperson, Fernando Mazanga, said the solution “does not necessarily involve parity”, he said. “We must understand that in negotiations, one doesn’t win everything, but also one doesn’t lose everything”.
“We are willing to make some concessions”, Mazanga added, “concessions in order to ensure that Mozambicans have free and fair elections, and above all that Mozambicans live in peace”.
It is clear that it would be quite impossible to appoint a new CNE, plus new provincial, district and city elections commissions, and still hold this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections on 15 October.
But Renamo’s electoral proposals of last year also had several points that the government delegation accepted. These included provisions for recounts, electoral courts, full immunity for polling station monitors, places for political party observers at CNE meetings, and permanent party observers at the CNE’s executive body, the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE).
Had Renamo presented these as amendments to the electoral law at the extraordinary parliamentary sitting of August last year, they would have been accepted, and could have made a material difference to the conduct of the November municipal elections.