The Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos) is willing to legally cancel the confidentiality clause in the coalition agreement with presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.

"If the counterparty to the agreement consents, we are willing to find a legal way to cancel the confidentiality of the agreement," said Hélder Mendonça, from Podemos, quoted by Televisão de Moçambique.

Mendonça said there was no clause preventing Podemos from taking office. "Quite the opposite, there are clear clauses about this and they place the parties with their due independence."

This stems from the fact that, in recent days, an atmosphere of tension has arisen between Podemos and Venâncio Mondlane, after the president of the party publicly assumed that the 43 deputies elected in the general elections of October 9, 2024 will take office in the Assembly of the Republic for the next legislature.

This position was publicly "scratched" by Venâncio Mondlane's representative, Dinis Tivane, who believes it is an act contrary to the clauses of the coalition agreement.

He said it was clear that Podemos and Venâncio Mondlane were now following different perspectives.

For Tivane, the purpose of the agreement between the parties is also to fight a political battle, so it would only be fair for the MPs not to take office on January 13.

"Our struggle is also political. Our movement is one of pressure. Rushing to say in public that he was going to take office, politically, is immoral," he noted.

On the other hand, given that Mondlane has promised to return to the country this Thursday, Tivane remains hopeful of a dialog with Podemos.

"Eventually, as soon as Mr. Venâncio arrives, the parties may sit down and decide to end that clause. What can't happen is this unilateralism," said Tivane.