Bishops in Mozambique Appeal for Justice, Calm Following Murder of Two Politicians in Country’s Post-Election Protests

New opposition party Podemos and its presidential aspirant Venancio Mondlane have rejected provisional results of the polls that indicate a likely win for Frelimo’s candidate Daniel Chapo.

In a statement issued Tuesday, October 22, CEM members condemn Mozambique’s post-election climate of unrest, fraud, and killings, while reaffirming the Church’s commitment to fostering peace and justice in the southern African country. “In the aftermath of the election, violence was once again used, and now it has been tainted with a cowardly ambush as a way of silencing, if not the truth, at least democracy,” the Catholic Bishops say. They add, “We condemn the barbaric murder of two political figures as a reminder, with similarities in method, of other murders of political or civil society figures, also linked to opposition parties, that have taken place in the aftermath of previous elections.”

“The Catholic Church, as an institution, is non-partisan, does not support candidates and has no parties. But this does not mean that it renounces its political and social commitment to a concrete path towards building a more democratic, inclusive, just, and fraternal society, in which everyone should live in peace, with dignity and a future,” CEM members say. The Catholic Church leaders say that as the voice of the Catholic Church, they cannot fail to denounce the violence that they say has “plunged everyone into chaos.”

Reflecting on the October 9 polls, CEM members note that voter turnout was historically low, with over half of the registered population abstaining from the polls. “More than half of the Mozambicans who had been registered did not show up to exercise their right to vote,” the Catholic Bishops say.

They add, “We saw the highest voter abstention in our history of multi-party elections, which seems to indicate that the irregularities and fraud recorded in previous elections have shown a large part of the population that their will, expressed at the ballot box, is not respected, making the exercise of this important civil right pointless.”

They attributed the low voter turnout to widespread mistrust in the electoral process due to fraud. “There was gross fraud, ballot box stuffing, forged notices and so many other ways of covering up the truth were repeated,” CEM members say.

They note that the irregularities and fraud, which have been carried out with impunity, have “reinforced the lack of trust in electoral bodies, in leaders who abdicate their dignity and disregard the truth and the sense of service that should guide those to whom the people entrust their vote.”

“In this way, they push the people not only to prove their mistrust but also to question the legitimacy of those elected. In the face of this proven adulterated data, can the electoral bodies certify the results?” the Catholic Church leaders pose. They say, “The application of electoral law at the national vote tabulation stage by the competent authorities alone cannot guarantee reliable results if the data is not reliable. Certifying a lie is fraud.”

The Catholic Bishops condemn the manipulation of young people into participating in violent protests and call for peaceful demonstrations. “We call for respect for the right to peaceful demonstration, but we also warn young people not to allow themselves to be manipulated and dragged into actions of vandalism and destabilization,” CEM members say. They add, “Young people must be listened to and we must give them an answer. We reaffirm once again that the greatest national wealth is our youth. They were born in a time of peace, they have the right to peace and they want peace.”

“We cannot let political parties and power groups continue to promote their harmful influences on it, instilling policies of contempt, hatred, and revenge or demonstrating a lack of values of respect for truth and honor,” Catholic Bishops in Mozambique say. They call for transparency in the electoral process, urging political actors to publish original voting records for verification and to engage in dialogue.

“Our message, which has been reiterated and is even more emphasized today, is a strong call to stop violence, political crimes, and disrespect for democracy. Let us have the courage to engage in dialogue and restore the truth to the facts,” CEM members say. They call on Mozambicans “not to resort to or encourage violence and not to allow ourselves to be manipulated, have the courage to engage in dialogue, to transparently determine the results of the elections by publishing and comparing the original notices in the possession of the various parties.”

The Catholic Bishops also call for the “involvement of the country's competent and serious institutions in the management of current and future electoral processes and seeking to give Mozambique a hopeful future”. They call on all those “directly involved in this electoral process and the conflict it has generated to make the exercise of acknowledging fault and forgiveness and the courage of truth the path that will allow a return to the normal situation of a country that wants to be alive and active and not silenced by the fear of violence.”

“Mozambique must not return to violence! Our country deserves truth, peace, tranquillity, and tolerance! Let us pray for peace, be artificers of justice, and witnesses to the truth,” CEM members say in their October 22 message.

João Vissesse – ACI Africa