The Assembly of the Republic opens its doors today, Monday (13), to swear in the 250 deputies elected on October 9 and start a new legislature, at a time when the country is going through a post-election crisis, after the entire opposition considered the vote counting process that gave victory to the ruling Frelimo to be fraudulent.

The second most voted candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, who since October 24 has led a huge wave of demonstrations across the country, followed by protests and vandalizations, called for "peaceful demonstrations" over the next three days, from 8am to 5pm.

Meanwhile, even before Parliament opened, Renamo and the MDM, the second and third political forces in the Assembly of the Republic, decided that their deputies would not be sworn in today.

In a publication by VOARenamo's spokesman said that the "ceremony is devoid of any solemn value and constitutes disrespect for the will of Mozambicans, so Renamo will not take part in this ceremony" and stressed that "the will of the people necessarily involves holding free, fair and transparent elections and not administrative elections".

Marciel Macome added that "Renamo is responsible for its own actions, we don't have a structure formed for a process that we don't identify with, so we won't be part of it".

Macome also concluded that "Renamo does not recognize anyone who has emerged from these results as President of the Republic". The party elected 28 deputies.

For his part, the president of the MDM announced that the Political Commission decided on Saturday (11) that its deputies would not be sworn in and that today he informed the parliamentarians of the decision.

"I have always defended the need for a forensic audit or a recount [of the votes], or as a last resort to annul the elections," said Lutero Simango, whose party elected eight MPs.

Outside the parliamentary framework, the second most voted presidential candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, has called for "peaceful demonstrations" in the coming days, coinciding with the inauguration of MPs and the President of the Republic.

"We have to give a sign that the people are in charge and the people are in power," he said on his Facebook page, calling for protests without violence, looting or destruction of property.

Meanwhile, the 43 MPs from the Povo Optimista para o Desenvolvimento de Moçambique (PODEMOS) party have confirmed that they will take office.

(Photo DR)