Africa-Press – Mozambique. Frelimo deputy Dias Julião Letela, re-elected on October 9 by the Inhambane constituency, has been appointed as spokesperson for the ruling party’s parliamentary group for the 10th Legislature, which began on January 13th.
Letela, who in the previous legislature was a member of the Commission on Constitutional Affairs, Human Rights and Legality, the most important commission in the Assembly of the Republic, replaces Feliz Sílvia, who will now be the Frelimo bench whip
Letela rose to fame in 2023 after leading a group of Frelimo party members who destroyed MDM (Mozambican Democratic Movement) election propaganda material in Homoíne municipality, Inhambane province, during the electoral campaign for the 6th Local Elections.
Calling the action “Operation Dismantle”, Letela defended the act of pure political intolerance in a video shared on social media, saying that “where Frelimo is, no other party can be present”, and pledging that he and his gang would continue with the action until the day of the vote (October 11, 2023).
The act was criticized as an electoral offense by political parties, especially by the parliamentary benches of Renamo and MDM, who demanded that he be held criminally responsible and his mandate as a deputy be annulled. But the Attorney General’s Office never opened any lawsuit regarding the case.
Gerónimo Malagueta leads Renamo bench
Renamo, which no longer holds the title of largest opposition party (held since 1994), chose Brigadier Gerónimo Malagueta, elected by the Zambézia constituency, to lead its parliamentary bench, made up of 28 MPs.
Malagueta will be assisted by the returning Saimone Macuiane, elected by the Manica constituency, while MP Glória Salvador, from the Nampula province constituency, will be the bench’s rapporteur and MP Arnaldo Chalaua, also from Nampula, will continue to be the bench’s spokesperson.
In turn, the MDM, which has gone from being the third to the fourth largest political force in the country, elected Fernando Bismarque, from Nampula, to lead the parliamentary bench, with MP José Manuel Domingos, from Sofala, as his assistant. MP Judite Macuácua, from Maputo city, will be the spokesperson, while Sílvia Cheia, elected by the Sofala constituency, will take on the role of rapporteur for the group.
PODEMOS, which is making its debut in parliament as the second largest political force in the country, has chosen Sebastião Mussanhane, elected by the Maputo province constituency, as head of the parliamentary group, assisted by Rute Manjate, from Maputo city. Elísio Muaquina, from Cabo Delgado, will be rapporteur for the group and Ivandro Massingue, from Maputo province, will be the spokesperson for the group.
It should be noted that, in addition to the head of the Frelimo parliamentary group (Feliz Sílvia) and the spokesperson (Dias Letela), the other members of the leadership of the Frelimo parliamentary group, which has 171 MPs, have not yet been announced. “Carta” was also unable to ascertain the names of the candidates for the Standing Commission, as well as for the Working Commissions and parliamentary offices of the four parties.
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