Chapo calls for criticism only within Frelimo bodies – aimnews.org

Maputo, 3 April (AIM) – Mozambican President Daniel Chapo called on Thursday for internal cohesion within the ruling party, Frelimo, and urged members to make their criticisms within Frelimo bodies and not outside them.

He was speaking in Maputo at the end of a round of regional meetings in preparation for the National Staff Conference that Frelimo intends to hold in August.

Chapo said that one of the objectives of the meeting is to collect ideas, opinions and criticisms from the party’s district and provincial secretaries, in order to strengthen Frelimo.

“Criticism and unity are what has made our party grow since its foundation, on June 25, 1962”, he declared. “But this criticism should be made inside. We are saying that we came here united, during the meeting we can make criticisms, constructive criticisms that make our party grow, and when we leave here we will remain united, heading towards our victories in 2028 and 2029 (dates of the next municipal and general elections)”.

“This is what Frelimo calls unity – critical – unity, within our party organs,” Chapo added.

He urged Frelimo members to look at the needs of the people, and particularly young Mozambicans, if they hope to win the next elections.

“These are young people who live in a world increasingly dominated by globalization. They are suffocated by floods, but above all by floods of fake news”, warned Chapo. “All of us, and particularly the Frelimo first secretaries at all levels, need to adjust our working methods to the new demands of a society undergoing profound and rapid transformation”.

The party’s first secretaries, he declared, “must base their work on love for the people because Frelimo is the people”.

In parallel with preparations for the National Cadres Conference, Frelimo is also carrying out a census of its own members. The census was essential, said Chapo, “to know exactly how many members we have in Frelimo, if the party branches really exist and where they are”.

The last publicly announced number of Frelimo members was “more than six million”.

But in the 2024 presidential elections, Frelimo won just 4.4 million votes, according to the official count. If this number is accepted, then one and a half million Frelimo members did not vote for their candidate.
(AIM)
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