Portuguese MP Rodrigo Saraiva, from the Liberal Initiative, believes that the president of the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), Albino Forquilho, has betrayed the trust of the Mozambican people and the presidential candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, by demonstrating that the 43 elected MPs will be sworn in for the new legislature.

Albino Forquilha and Venâncio Mondlane had signed an agreement aimed at supporting each other throughout the process of the October 9, 2024 general elections. This happened after the National Electoral Commission rejected the candidacy of the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD).

In a debate on SIC yesterday, the MP said it was strange that only the president of Podemos had expressed his intention to swear in his deputies, when the opposition leaders of the Renamo and Movimento Democrático de Moçambique parties had not.

"Neither Renamo nor the MDM have yet said that they want to take office. And it is Podemos, with its leader Forquilha, that is putting forward the possibility of taking office, thus betraying the agreement it had with Venâncio Mondlane, but more importantly, betraying the feeling of change among the Mozambican people," he noted.

On the other hand, Saraiva pointed out that Venâncio Mondlane has been the voice of the transversal expression of will to change the lives of a people that has already lost its fear.

In this sense, he considered the possibility of the presidential candidate returning to the country, not least because he had not communicated for several days.

"It was important for Venâncio Mondlane to be able to return to Maputo," he said, stressing the need for security guarantees "because he has already been the target of assassination attempts" even "in an uncertain place".

Meanwhile, yesterday, Venâncio Mondlane announced his return to Mozambique, and Saraiva commented on the social network X: "... An important and courageous step. The Portuguese government, directly and by mobilizing the international community, especially the EU, must put pressure on the Mozambican government to give Venâncio full guarantees of safety. This is a demand for freedom.