The spokesman for the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) said this Wednesday January 3 that the party will bet on the current president for next year’s presidential elections, despite criticism from segments demanding his resignation, accusing him of inertia.
“Ossufo Momade is our candidate and the president who is bringing success to the party,” said José Manteigas, Renamo’s spokesman, during a press conference in Maputo on Wednesday.
Renamo’s leadership has been criticized both externally and internally in recent months, with a former leader of the party’s armed wing accusing Ossufo Momade of inaction in the face of alleged irregularities in the Mozambican municipal elections in favour of the ruling party and of negligence in the face of the situation of the party’s recently demobilized guerrillas.
“The party leadership and the president of Renamo are not saying anything [about the irregularities in the elections]. It seems to me that he has been bought. There are municipalities that have been stolen from us and he seems to be tied down. He’s not saying anything about the problems with the demobilization of the military either,” Timosse Maquinze, who was classified within Renamo as the chief of staff of the armed wing until the party’s demilitarization, as part of the implementation of the peace agreements signed with the government in 2019, declared in December.
For the party spokesman, Ossufo Momade’s leadership has brought results, pointing, by way of example, to the local elections, in which the party claims to have won in several places, including the capital.
“It is common knowledge that Renamo won in many municipalities in the local elections and this victory means that there is good leadership,” said José Manteigas.
Ossufo Momade took over the leadership of Renamo in 2018 after the death of Afonso Dhlakama, the historic leader and founder of the party who died in May of that year from illness.
The general elections, including the seventh presidential elections, are scheduled for October 9, at a cost of around 6.5 billion meticais (96.3 million euros), according to the government’s budget for 2024.