The presidential candidate of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), Lutero Simango, defends the need to debate the causes and motivations of the demonstrations in Mozambique.

The party reiterates its support for the demonstrations against the results announced on October 24 by the National Electoral Commission (CNE).

For the MDM president, it's not enough just to discuss the consequences of the demonstrations and call for them to stop or to take place peacefully.  

Simango told journalists in Maputo today that he has received contacts from national and international figures, including from religious forums, calling for the situation to be normalized.

"It is true that we are all concerned about security, tranquillity and public order, the free movement of people and goods and our individual freedoms. Recognizing the country's problems, which stem from bad policies, widespread corruption, discrimination, exclusion and marginalization of young people, mismanagement of our resources, loss of credibility of political institutions and public administration, today it is not enough to talk about the consequences. The appeals will be heard if we have the courage, political will and honesty to address the causes, the reasons why our people are on the streets demonstrating," he said.

According to Lutero, the causes of the demonstrations in the country are the electoral results "in the hands of the Constitutional Council" which do not reflect the popular will and the expression of the voters at the polls. "There is an absence of electoral justice".

"This is the fundamental problem. The cause of the post-election situation in the country, combined with so many other problems," he noted, pointing to political intolerance, poverty levels, the cost of living, state capture, kidnappings and abductions.

Simango advocates joining forces for a national dialogue focused on resolving the central problem: the electoral issue.