Marcelo no longer needs to be present in Mozambique to watch Daniel Chapo’s inauguration. After many doubts about whether or not the Portuguese president should participate in the controversial process, the Minister of Foreign Affairs takes his turn.
Portugal will be represented at the inauguration of Daniel Chapo as the new president of Mozambique by the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, a source from the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic told Lusa.
According to , the decision was taken this Monday morning, and constitutes a “intermediate solution”, between the President of the Republic, the “intermediate” Minister of Foreign Affairs or the “minor” ambassador in Maputo, António Costa Moura.
Público also mentions the hypothesis of Portugal being represented by the government’s number 2, the Minister of the Presidency(which could be seen as an insult), but this alternative seems to have been completely discarded, as well as, now, the “Bigger” and “Smaller” Solutions. The government is the intermediary: Ragel.
On Friday, the Portuguese head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, stated that he was awaiting a proposal from the Portuguese Government regarding his possible trip to inauguration of Daniel Chapofrom Frelimo, a possibility now ruled out.
Daniel Chapo’s inauguration as president of Mozambique, a position in which he will succeed Filipe Nyusi, is scheduled for Wednesday.
Os deputies elected by the opposition parties Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) and Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) were not present at the ceremony today inauguration of the new Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique.
On Friday, the Portuguese parliament approved, in general, a recommendation to the Government not to recognize the results of the elections October 9th in Mozambique “due to the serious irregularities and frauds reported and documented”, with votes in favor of Chega, IL, BE and Livre, abstentions by PS, PSD and CDS-PP and votes against by the PCP.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had kept open the possibility of being present at Daniel Chapo’s inauguration, saying that the issue was “being handled by the Government”, in connection with Portuguese diplomats.
O Government will make a proposal — has a responsibility in conducting foreign policy — to the President about “what will be done”, he stated, on Friday, sending a decision to the beginning of this week
Asked whether his absence from Daniel Chapo’s inauguration would be a sign that he does not recognize the Government of Mozambique, the head of state reiterated that he will “wait for the Government’s proposal”.
“And the Government understands, I think well, that it must wait until the beginning of next week, the end of the weekend and the beginning of next week, and consider all the circumstances and then present a proposal to jointly define what the position is.”, completed.
On Wednesday last week, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced, through a note, that he had received a letter from the outgoing Mozambican president, Filipe Nyusi, inviting him to the inauguration of his successor, and another from Venâncio Mondlane, informing him that he would return to the country.
The date for the new president’s inauguration was set on January 2nd by the Constitutional Council of Mozambique, after having proclaimed Daniel Chapo as the winner of the contested October 9th elections on December 23rd.
According to the Constitutional Council, the candidate of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) — the party in power since the country’s independence in 1975 — won with 65.17% of the votes the election for President of the Republic.
In view of these results, the Portuguese head of state published a note that same day stating that he “took note of the candidates and political forces formally declared winners by that Council”, but in which he did not mention Daniel Chapo nor did he give the usual salute to the proclaimed president. elected.
On that note, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa previously “welcomes the already expressed intention of national understanding” and “underlines the importance of democratic dialogue between all political forces, which must constitute the basis for resolving disputes, within the framework and recognition of new realities in Mozambican society and respect for the popular will”.
The Portuguese President also “reaffirms the fraternal friendship between the states and the people of Portugal and Mozambique and cooperation and partnership in all areas at the service of the two brotherly peoples, in the construction of peace, respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, sustainable development and social justice” .
The president AngolanJoão Lourenço, will not be present at the event.
