Manuel de Araújo, a member of the National Council of Renamo, the largest opposition party in Mozambique, says he is surprised that he has not yet formally received an invitation to the National Council meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 14, despite being a full member.

The National Council of that political formation is the body with the legitimacy to convene the congress and draw up the profile of the party's internal candidate who will run in the general elections scheduled for October 9.

Cited by AIMManuel de Araújo said yesterday, in Pemba, Cabo Delgado province, that he was surprised that until today (yesterday, Thursday), when there are only three days to go until the meeting, he had not received an invitation from the party's National Council.

"I find it strange that, as a member of the National Council, I have not yet formally received the invitation," said Manuel de Araújo.

The source gives the benefit of the doubt to the National Council board, and says he believes it is just a matter of bureaucratic issues, but warns that, with or without the invitation, as a full member elected at the congress, he will be present at the National Council meeting on April 14.

"With or without an invitation, I'm going to that meeting because I have the right to do so. I was elected at the congress," stresses Manuel de Araújo, adding that "if he doesn't receive any documents relating to the meeting within 24 hours, he will contact the chairman of the board of the body to demand an explanation and if he isn't satisfied he may resort to other internal bodies."

"I have the number of the President of the Council who I'm going to call tomorrow (Friday, today) to find out why I haven't received the invitation yet."

Meanwhile, Manuel de Araújo doesn't rule out the possibility of running in Renamo's internal elections, but stresses that everything depends on the profile that will be drawn up by the party's National Council and the will of other party colleagues.

"If there's a group of citizens who think I'm the right person, we'll see. We'll go to the National Council which will define a profile and if I fit that profile I can run, but if I don't, life goes on," he said.