Mozambique’s main opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane told the BBC he is ready to serve in the government if President Daniel Chapo meets his demands to end the political crisis that has hit the country after disputed elections.
Chapo said he had set up a team to “consider” whether his rival should be invited to join the new “inclusive” government.
The two men outlined their views in separate interviews with the BBC, giving the impression they were open to a rapprochement following the deaths of around 300 people in post-election unrest.
Mondlane dismissed his defeat in the October election, saying the result was rigged – something Chapo denied.
Mozambique’s highest court declared Chapo the winner with 65% of the vote to Mondlane’s 24%.
Chapo was the candidate of the ruling Frelimo party, since his predecessor Filipe Nyusi had to step down after two terms in office.
Chapo was officially sworn in as president on Jan. 15, about a week after Mondlane held his own inauguration declaring himself “the people’s president.”
Mondlane told the BBC that Chapo was “imposed” on the nation and was the “president of the defense forces”.
Mondlane said he had nevertheless decided to suspend protests for the first 100 days of his rival’s term, provided he did the following:
- unconditionally release about 5,000 people detained for participating in protests against the election result
- pay financial compensation to the families of people killed by the police during protests and
- to offer free medical assistance to about 200 people injured by the police.
Mondlane said that if Chapo agrees to this, he will “open a window” for negotiations or else he will invite his supporters to renew the protest.
Asked if he is ready to work in Chapo’s government, Mondlane replied: “Yes, if he has a genuine interest in working with me. He has the opportunity to invite me to the dialogue table.”
In his interview with the BBC, Chapo said he wanted to “rule in an inclusive way” and introduce reforms to address concerns about electoral law, human rights and freedom of expression.
He said talks are currently underway with opposition parties represented in the new parliament, and will later be expanded to include “all segments of society.”
Chapo added that he wants to form a government that is “open to all Mozambicans,” but he wanted to emphasize that “the profile of the people is very important.”
Asked if he believed that Mondlane was qualified to serve in the government, Chapo replied: “It will depend… because there is a team that is considering it right now, about the profile of the people, their competences, meritocracy, patriotism – all these prerequisites that I allude to.
“If the team comes to the conclusion that these people have the right profile, they will be part of the government. Those who do not have that profile, will not participate.”
At the age of 47, Chapo was chosen by Frelimo, which has been in power since independence 49 years ago, as its candidate to rally young voters affected by high unemployment and fed up with the party’s decades-long rule.
He told the BBC he wanted domestic and foreign investment to increase in Mozambique to make the economy “more dynamic”.
This would help create jobs for young people so they can “build their homes, start their families and stabilize their lives”.
Mondlane, 50, was seen to have significant support among young people after rallying them during the election campaign with the slogan “Save Mozambique – this country is ours”.
He contested the elections as an independent candidate after breaking away from the main opposition Renamo party.
A small party that supported his candidacy won several seats in the elections.