The Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD) attributes its withdrawal from the general elections on October 9 to collusion between the parties that make up the Constitutional Council (CC).

The president of the CAD, Manecas Daniel, explained at a press conference yesterday that the political parties represented on the CC, the sovereign body with special responsibility for administering justice in legal-constitutional matters and, ultimately, electoral litigation, influenced the coalition's withdrawal from the electoral race.

"The Frelimo and Renamo parties decided to withdraw from CAD because they don't feel comfortable when our CAD participates in the elections," said Manecas Daniel, quoted by AIMHe added that his board will soon meet to decide on his future, after his candidacy was rejected by the CC.

"We're going to have a meeting in the next few days to decide what to do," said the CAD president, considering that the CC's decision is contradictory and illegal, given that all the necessary documents, previously approved by the Council, have been submitted.

The CAD supported the presidential candidacy of Venâncio Mondlane, but on Thursday (01) the CC decided to annul the registration of his candidacy validated on May 9 by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) responsible for supervising the census and electoral acts.

The CNE rejected the lists of candidates for the legislative elections, for members of the provincial assemblies and for the provincial governor because it concluded that the CAD had violated not the electoral law, but the law on political parties.

This law states that political parties can join together to form coalitions, but they must sign a coalition pact, which is then deposited with the Ministry of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs (MJACR) as the state body responsible for recognizing political parties.

Any changes to the coalition pact must be notified to the Ministry. The CAD changed its pact on April 27 and should have informed the MJACR within 15 days, but did not inform the Ministry until June 28, which was about six weeks late.

In addition, two of the parties that were among the original members of the CAD, the Ecologist Party (PEMO) and the United Congress of Democrats (CDU) have withdrawn from the Coalition, but the CAD has not informed the Ministry of this change.

(Photo DR)