The Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) and Renamo today demanded the revocation of the commission set up to assess the relevance of the district elections, accusing the ruling party (Frelimo) of orchestrating a "gradual coup" against democracy to postpone the poll.

The warning from the two opposition parties comes after parliament approved, just over a week ago, a change to the deadline for the general elections, with 164 votes from Frelimo, in a session marked by a boycott by the opposition, who chanted, blew 'vuvuzelas' and displayed placards in an attempt to stop the proceedings.

Also at stake is the approval on Wednesday of the creation of a commission to reflect on the relevance of district elections, a body that will be made up of "staff with recognized competence and experience in local governance and public finance," said government spokesman Filimão Suaze, without giving any further details or deadlines.

"The elections were scheduled for October 2024, through the Constitution of the Republic, and we can't accept the Constitution being kicked around to accommodate the obscure interests of malicious people who want to stay in power at all costs," Ismael Nhacucue, spokesman for the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the third force in parliament, told Lusa.

For the MDM, the intention of the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) is to postpone the vote by "trampling" on the law, considering that Frelimo "has no right to take away a constitutional right from citizens".

"We can't accept Frelimo using its qualified majority in parliament to distort the feelings of the Mozambican people. It's unacceptable and incomprehensible that a process that was unanimously approved today should be unilaterally kicked down the road by the Frelimo bench, because it has a qualified majority," said Ismael Nhacucue, pointing out that the head of state had not shared information about the commission with the opposition parties.

In the same vein, Renamo, the main opposition party, believes that the decree creating the commission that will reflect on the relevance of the district elections is part of an attempt to stop the ballot.

"The ultimate aim of this commission is to legalize the decision already made public by the Frelimo party to deny district elections and a vain attempt to override the Constitution itself," Renamo secretary-general Clementina Francisco told the media.

The Partridge Party is also demanding the repeal of the decree creating the commission, considering the ruling party's position a "gradual blow" to democracy.

"The Renamo party and the whole of Mozambican society condemn and repudiate this attitude of dictatorship, tyranny and attempted coup d'état against the sovereignty of the people," said the Renamo secretary-general.

A possible postponement of the district elections scheduled for 2024 would require a constitutional revision, which is only possible with the approval of a two-thirds majority in parliament and which can also only be carried out five years after the previous revision law came into force, which was in 2018.