Renamo spokesman José Manteigas says that the end of Ossufo Momade's mandate on January 17 should not be a cause for concern among party members. To this end, the source assured that the party rejects any pressure for its organs to meet urgently.

According to the spokesman for that political grouping, the country's main opposition party, "in terms of interpretation, until the Congress is held, the bodies elected at the last meeting should continue with their mandate".

"Renamo cannot be forced to carry out its program because it is not about to obey agendas outside its objectives. Renamo has statutes and organs. So it's not the will of one or two, even if they are members, that should prevail in order to do this or that," said José Manteigas, quoted by Rádio Moçambique.

Last week, the mayor of Quelimane, Manuel de Araújo, said that Renamo's spokesman had violated the statutes by announcing the current president, Ossufo Momade, as a presidential candidate before the congress that was due to elect the party's leader this year.

Ossufo Momade has been accused of inaction in the face of alleged irregularities in the October local elections, allegedly in favor of the ruling party, and of negligence in the face of the situation of the party's recently demobilized guerrillas.