Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office on September 23, accusing members of the ruling FRELIMO party of electoral crimes and alleging institutional bias.
“The complaint my representative submitted today outlines well-known cases that have already been investigated, with evidence as clear as the crystalline waters of our beaches”, Mondlane stated in a Facebook post. He accused the Attorney General’s office of ignoring illegal acts by FRELIMO, and the complaint, he said, aims to expose the “extent of the partiality” of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
This follows a warning issued last week by the Attorney General’s office, urging Mondlane to avoid inflammatory language during his campaign. Mondlane, however, asserted that the focus on his behavior was a distraction from more significant issues. “The attention on social networks and national debate has shifted to the idea that I, supported by the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), am the primary offender in this electoral process,” he added.
Mondlane accused FRELIMO of misusing public assets for campaign purposes, including vehicles from the Defense and Security Forces, the Ministry of Education, and even a presidential plane. He also criticized FRELIMO’s presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, for “illegally and fraudulently” using state property in his campaign.
“We must depoliticize the state and end the manipulation of courts to condemn opposition members,” Mondlane said, calling for a “de-FRELIMO-ization” of state institutions.
Mondlane also recalled viral images of FRELIMO deputies trampling MDM party T-shirts during the October 11, 2023, local elections, and condemned the quick prosecution of opposition members. He cited the imprisonment of two Podemos politicians, one of whom was sentenced to ten days in prison, converted to fines.
“There is a double standard. The Attorney General is failing its role as the guardian of legality. We are putting the PGR to the test,” Mondlane concluded.