The President of the Assembly of the Republic, Margarida Adamugi Talapa, urged MPs in Maputo on Wednesday (26) to put the interests of the nation first and to be an example of pacification for the Mozambican family.

Speaking during the opening of the First Ordinary Session of his Tenth Legislature, Talapa added that MPs should be the most faithful and plural expression of the nation's interests.

"We are therefore going to focus on making Parliament live up to its constitutional and regimental responsibilities, guaranteeing citizens' trust, the quality of legislative production and oversight, good institutional relations and cooperation, the strengthening of parliamentary diplomacy and more open doors," he stressed.

The president said she believed that the MPs would not deviate from their commitment to become a more dynamic parliamentary institution, more active and capable of serving as a common platform for defending the interests of Mozambicans.

Margarida Talapa reminded those present of what she had said in the past when she said that։ "this house wants to be the excellence of politics, guaranteeing the most fruitful debates on all matters that are raised to ensure the consensus that society expects for harmony, good coexistence, solidarity of all citizens who, just as tolerant in their cultural and religious diversity, are tolerant in their political and party diversity".

The President of Parliament said that Mozambican electoral processes are complex. "Therefore, you can count on this Assembly to improve electoral procedures, in an engaging way, and without time constraints," said PAR.

He added that Mozambique needs an electoral law that, in addition to meeting the recommendations of the Electoral Bodies, National and International Observers, responds to the work sought by the Political Commitment for an Inclusive National Dialogue, which has created promising expectations that will require hard work, coordination and, above all, tolerance and mutual respect from society as a whole in order to build consensus.

With regard to the current Ordinary Session, Talapa highlighted, in addition to regimental matters, the consideration of the Proposals for the Government's Five-Year Program (2025/2029), the Economic and Social Plan and the State Budget (PESOE) for 2025 and the Proposal for a Resolution on the National Development Strategy 2025-2044.

"We will be considering other instruments that will make the Mozambican state more robust," said the PAR, highlighting the consideration of the Proposals for the Program of Activities and the Budget of the Assembly of the Republic for this year.

The Speaker of the Mozambican Parliament also referred to the fact that 2025 is a crucial year in the global quest for gender equality and the empowerment of women, "as it marks the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which guides policies, programs and investments that impact on critical areas such as education, health, peace, political participation, economic empowerment and the elimination of violence against women and girls".

"We congratulate all the women of the world and, in particular, Mozambican women, on the celebration of International Women's Day, on March 8," said Talapa, for whom, "in the month of women, brilliantly launched by the First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique, Gueta Chapo, we hope for success and that it will be a moment of reflection on the need to raise women's voices, against all forms of violence and discrimination, with a view to ensuring inclusion in leadership and decision-making spaces and, why not mention it, celebrating the progress towards parity, with the presence of more women in leadership, well promoted by the Government of the Republic of Mozambique". (AR)