Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Tuesday deplored incitement to hatred and violence.
Speaking at the start of a visit to the southern province of Inhambane, where he used to be the provincial governor, Chapo called for a culture of peace, in which those who lost elections would know how to accept defeat.
At the inauguration of a new building for the provincial government in Inhambane city, Chapo stressed that the commitment to “an inclusive political dialogue” envisaged changes to the legislation to ensure that future elections will be peaceful.
“We need to sit down as brothers, as Mozambicans, to debate what is wrong, and what the problem is”, he said. “We should all speak, to see how we can correct matters, so that one day we have elections which end with a winner and a loser”.
Chapo thought it imperative “to reach a phase when the defeated candidate picks up the telephone, rings the winner, congratulates him, and then waits for the next elections”.
Chapo was likely reacting to the threats of further violence made on Monday by former presidential candidate, Venancio Mondlane, who warned that further attacks on his supporters could lead to protests “100 times worse” than the rioting that broke out following the December announcement of election results widely believed to be fraudulent.
Chapo stressed that people only reap what they sow. “Those who sow maize will not harvest bananas”, he declared. “Those who sow hatred will reap hatred. Those who sow violence will reap violence. So we need to sow love for our neighbours, harmony, peace and stability, and thus develop our country”.
Both Chapo and Mondlane claimed victory in the October presidential election. But neither have provided the polling station results sheets (“editais”) that would prove their claims. The country’s highest electoral body, the Constitutional Council, declared Chapo the winner, but never explained how it reached this conclusion.
The Council admitted that the results declared by the National Elections Commission (CNE) were riddled with irregularities. It could have rescued the situation by ordering a recount of the votes, but it refused to do so.
For More News And Analysis About Mozambique Follow Africa-Press
