Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), the second largest opposition party in the country, on Monday announced the criteria for anyone wishing to stand as a candidate for the party’s president at the MDM Congress scheduled for December.
The MDM’s founder and president, Daviz Simango, died of illness in February, and since then the party has been led by its General Secretary, Jose Domingos. The main business at the December Congress will be the election of a new leader.
The Party’s Political Commission announced that those wishing to stand for the President must submit their nomination papers by 30 September.
All candidates must be duly identified members of the party, who are up-to-date on payment of their membership dues. They must be Mozambican citizens who are over 35 years old, and must have been members of the MDM for at least five years. They must be “recognised and active” as militants of the party.
All candidates must have a good reputation as men or women of integrity, who have never been sentenced to a prison term longer than two years. They must have studied in secondary education up to at least 12th grade.
Announcing these requirements in the central city of Beira, regarded as an MDM stronghold, the Coordinator of the Political Commission, Maria Virginia, said the motto of the Congress will be “For a stronger MDM, inspired by the ideals of Daviz Simango”.
So far, only one person has declared his intention to stand for the MDM presidency. He is university lecturer Silverio Rongane, who is an MDM deputy in the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic.
Other names mentioned as possible successors to Daviz Simango, are his older brother Lutero, who is currently head of the MDM parliamentary group, the current general secretary, José Domingos, and one of his predecessors, Luis Boavida.
